As planned, the extraordinary plenary session of the Guimar Town Hall approved this morning, with the votes in favor of CC, PSOE and Unidas Sí Podemos (11) and against the PP and NC (10), the highest salary increase for the Government group and trusted personnel, just over 200,000 euros with respect to the previous mandate, until exceeding the 600,000 euros of cost for the municipal coffers, with a average raise of 10,000 euros gross per year for the mayor Gustavo Pérez (58,080 euros per year) and eight of the ten released councilors (between 46,000 and 46,500 gross per year).
The government group explained the increase, which has an average percentage of 27% compared to the previous mandate, with the government made up of 5 councilors from the PSOE and 4 from CC, based on the population increase -the municipality already exceeds 20,001 inhabitants- the evolution of the municipal budget as well as human resources.
The opposition criticized the increase, “even if it is legal,” said popular spokesperson Luisi Castro, but did not rule out requesting a legal report on the salaries of Airam Puerta and Juan Delgado, because “it squeaks a lot,” said Castro, who 75% of partial dedication can earn 500 euros more (46,500 euros per year) than other councilors (there are three, Magüi Campos, Patricia Encinoso and Cándido Gómez, with a remuneration of 46,000 euros at 100% dedication), thanks to an additional supplement of 830.36 euros a month for 14 payments, according to the mayor “due to the degree of responsibility of the areas they manage. These are essential services, such as Urban Planning, the Water Supply and Environment Service, in the case of Puerta, and Cleaning Services, in the case of Delgado”.
The remuneration of trusted personnel was also approved, which in this mandate may be up to seven temporary workers. CC has already elected three, the PSOE another three and it is likely that Unidas Sí Podemos will ‘place’ number 2 on the list headed by Nayra Caraballero, one of the most politically designated for this salary increase.
Each ‘advisor’, who in most cases were on the electoral lists of the tripartite, among which it is surprising that there is no one specialized in the press, will charge 29,540.70 euros per year in 14 payments.
200 euros per Governing Board
Also approved at the same point, the new table of remuneration or per diems for attendance at plenary sessions, commissions, spokespersons’ meeting and the Governing Board. At this point it was made clear that the released mayor and councilors will not charge for it, but the two government councilors who are not released will, the nationalist Javier Eloy Campos (retired), who will lead Culture, and Blanca Alicia Lorenzo (teacher), who will manage Animal Health and Welfare. Specifically, as they are the sixth and seventh deputy mayors, they will be able to attend the Governing Board meetings and will receive 200 euros per month at each of them -there may be up to four a month-, when previously 33.97 euros were paid for it.
Attendance at the Plenary session will be paid with 40.76 euros, the information commissions with 21.09 euros and the board of spokespersons, 17.58 euros. In this case it would be mainly for the 10 opposition councilors (9 from the Popular Party and one from Nueva Canaria).
There was unanimous support for all parties to be represented in the information commissions, in line with the electoral results: The PP will have 3 members, CC and PSOE, with two each, while USP and NC will have one representative.
The plenary session passed normally, despite the fact that Carlos Llarena (NC) disgraced the secretary and the government group for having received the agenda only 24 hours before. The plenary session, in which there was no public attendance, beyond two people, began half an hour late due to problems with Skype so that Cándido Gómez (PSOE), Councilor for Security and Sports, could intervene. In Güímar, it must be remembered, the plenary sessions are not broadcast live and it is one of the ten of the 88 municipalities in the Canary Islands that has suspended transparency.
