Andalucía holds most councils in debt

(Illustration only)

ANDALUCÍA One of the many reasons for the disastrous conditions of the nation's finances is in the indebtedness of its municipalities (by municipality read council). One example, offered in an article on the subject in El País, is a village in the province of Burgos: population 48 (yes, no zeros missing); debt: €8,520 per head. It is the most indebted council in Spain, just above another village in Barcelona that runs a debt of €8,344 for each of its inhabitants. There are 8,116 municipalities in Spain, and almost all of them went haywire with expenses and building and other investment when 'the cows were fat' (a good old rural expression). Two of the highest are in Andalucía:>>>

New car tax to be based on emissions rather than horsepower

SPAIN Car tax in Spain (known as Impuesto de Circulación but officially as Impuesto sobre Vehículos de Tracción Mecánica) is managed and paid to the municipality where the vehicle is registered. New regulations, which come into force at the beginning of next year, rule that the criteria for this tax should from then on be based on the vehicle's emissions  instead of on its horsepower as at present. An environmental measure, certainly, and one that will probably increase municipal incomes considerably because Spain's vehicles average among the oldest in Europe. Calculations on the annual tax will depend on>>>

Junta removes grants for conservation of Church and municipal heritage

Work in progress at Jimena castle
(Photo: buceite.com)

Culture department targets buildings used as stages, archaeology activity and acts in historical premises

ANDALUCÍA Once again it is the country's heritage and arts that suffer under the tragic cutbacks resulting from Spain's financial crisis and a consequent 'lack of credit', according to the Junta's official bulletin (BOJA). Thus, grants or subsidies requested by town halls throughout the region to maintain their heritage, carry out archaeological research (in an area that is heavy with Roman, Phoenician and Moorish remains, among others) or renovate their historic scenery have disappeared, together with help given to the Church for the same purpose. At a stroke, the department headed by Luciano Alonso (PP) has ordered the suspension (read 'elimination') of a series of activities and events that have delighted residents and tourists for years.

Ten municipalities of Cádiz owe over €700 per inhabitant

Jimena de la Frontera
(c)2012 Alberto Bullrich

At the 'good' end of the scale are Jimena, Algar, Chipiona and Zahara de la Sierra

CÁDIZ (Agencies) Ten of the 44 municipalities that make up the province of Cádiz are in debt to the tune of over €700 per inhabitant, according to the latest 2011 figures. The worst debtors are Cádiz,  the capital city itself, Los Barrios, Algodonales and San Roque. The information comes from the Ministerio de Hacienda y Administraciones Públicas (Treasury, for short-ish), which publishes the 'live' debt of every municipality in Spain every year. The figures reveal that on December 31, 2011, the municipalities of the province owe almost €663m, which is>>>

Municipal Secretaries, Auditors and Treasurers 'under great pressure'

Union protest, Los Barrios

CÁDIZ Province/ LOS BARRIOS The Municipal Town Clerks, Auditors, Comptrollers and Treasurers of the province are under very great pressure, according to their Official College. They even use the word acoso, or harassment. This, they say, is from a good number of municipalities in the province, not only from the governing councillors but also from members of the opposition and even from some unions. (Remember that there have been some very deep changes in the politics of almost all the municipalities of Cádiz, as well as in the provincial authority, Diputación). The latest case - but certainly not the only one - comes from Ls Barrios, where the General Secretary in the Town Hall, who has not been paid for four months, like the rest of the municipal employees, received a note from the union representing some of the employees demanding that she not issue a report that validated a proposal by the Council, which is part of her job to do. "We will not consent any kind of pressure on any General Secretary in any municipality," says the College. "We will take court action against anybody intending to manipulate the rectitude or integrity of the Secretary, who is subject exclusively to applying the law."