Since the plenary session on August 17, 2023, the Mayor of Arona, Fátima Lemes of the conservative party (PP), has employed a full-time legal advisor, Jorge Alayón Gil, in the Mayor’s Office. However, the council has yet to analyse his employment situation and potential compatibility with his job. This analysis is required by law, as Alayón Gil also practices law in Arona, which is usually restricted by compatibility regulations.
Sources familiar with the matter have reported that Alayón Abogados law firm continues to offer its legal services, while the advisor himself has been meeting with clients since taking up his role at the Arona City Council.
The law is clear on such matters, and despite their temporary advisory roles, individuals cannot provide these services in the same municipality where they are employed by the town hall. The activities require approval by the local council, a step that has not been taken in this case and others, as per sources from Canarias Ahora.
The local government (PP-CC-Ciudadanos de Arona) informed the press that a resolution on this issue is ready for presentation before the council for approval. When questioned if the advisor has been practising law in the municipality during these eight months, the government’s communication team simply stressed that the file awaits validation by the council, avoiding clarification on the matter. The advisor himself declined to comment when approached by Canarias Ahora.
Alayón, along with other trusted members of the new Arona government that succeeded socialist José Julián Mena after the May 2023 elections, was appointed as an advisor following a mayoral resolution on August 17 of the same year. He holds a position in group A1 with a gross monthly salary of 2,500 euros and two additional payments of the same amount.
