Next year will be the first in the history of the Santa Cruz City Council in which the budget exceeds 300 million. This was announced yesterday by the mayor, José Manuel Bermúdez, who explained that they are accounts “that respond to the economic uncertainty that is predicted for next year” and they do so by rising to 313.5 million, 12.2%. , which become 320 if that of the autonomous bodies is added.
The councilor highlighted the increase aimed at the most vulnerable families, “for which we allocated 34 million euros, 8.3% more for the IMAS in 2023 than this year.”
The other section of the accounts highlighted by the mayor is that of investment, which grows even more than the budget, with an increase of 26%. “Next year we will have 65 million to invest, another record figure to make Santa Cruz an investment engine,” he said.
“The tax pressure continues,” said Bermúdez, who emphasized that, thanks to this, “we save residents 11.2 million, money that stays in their pockets.”
The mayor of the Treasury, Juan José Martínez, detailed in more depth some accounts that he defined as “countercyclical” and that are aimed at Santa Cruz continuing the path of job creation that it has maintained in the last year, with more than 136,000 employees.
Martínez explained that the increase in the income section is due “to the increase in income from the REF, and the funds from the Next Generation program.” The former have grown substantially due to the fact that more has been collected due to the effect of inflation, while with the latter “our technicians have done an excellent job, which has allowed us to bring about 17 million so far,” he clarified. Likewise, the mayor stated that this money compensates for the drop suffered in own income compared to the current year, which included the sale of the Ministry of Education building and the Auditorium building in Cabo Llanos (the latter is being auctioned off). Tax inspection collection also falls, “because citizens comply more with their obligations.”
As for the tax burden, he recalled that they are all maintained and others are added, such as the one being processed by Urbanism “so that entrepreneurs who want to open a business in Santa Cruz do not have to pay for the first opening license.”
Another of the areas that is growing considerably is that of Municipal Housing, which will manage some 14 million thanks to the different agreements signed with other administrations for the rehabilitation and construction of housing.
Carlos Tarife, as municipal spokesman for the PP, also valued some budgets that, he said, “are good for Santa Cruz”, openly criticizing those of the State, the Government of the Canary Islands and the Cabildo, “that do not invest in this city sufficiently ”. In the areas of the PP, Sports was highlighted, which will undertake four large contracts, highlighting the integral maintenance of sports facilities, their cleaning or the hiring of more auxiliary personnel to open and close municipal centers.
In Urban Planning there is also a significant increase in the budget, mainly for the management of the El Toscal Plan, which is approved this year, while in Public Services, the main challenge, he indicated, will be the development of the large contracts renewed this mandate. .
