The Plenary Session of the La Orotava City Council yesterday sanctioned the repeal of the obligatory implementation of the new waste charge aimed at covering the expenses related to collection, treatment, and recycling—referred to as ‘tax’—a charge that every municipality in Spain must introduce from April 2025, and whose financial burden must be shouldered directly by the populace.
The spokesperson for the PP, Ildefonso González, emphasised that the European directive “does not compel member states to impose this charge directly; rather, it outlines objectives for the reduction, reuse, or recycling of varied waste produced, and specifies economic instruments to promote this application.”
Nevertheless, he remarked that in Spain, the alternative chosen is “the one most detrimental to citizens, such as the encroachment on local powers, compelling mayors to unnecessarily inflate the charge for their constituents.” Consequently, the PP voiced its opposition to this “new infringement on the finances of the most vulnerable residents, businesses, and families,” advocating for its revocation, “upholding municipal autonomy and acknowledging the freedom of local councils to set their own taxes,” a proposal which received backing from nationalists while being dismissed by the PSOE and Assembly for La Orotava.
The nationalist representative, Felipe David Benítez, argued that the charge “has been hurriedly devised without considering the unique attributes of each municipality, such as population size and the necessary investment by local authorities.” Furthermore, “absolutely nothing” has been communicated to the citizens, indicating a “failure of communication from the Government of Spain.”
The mayor, Francisco Linares, asserted that the ‘tasazo’ intends to instruct citizens “with penalties” to enhance recycling efforts, highlighting that the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (FEMP) opposed its enactment “because both the foundation and the method seem misguided.”
The PSOE spokesperson, María Jesús Alonso, proposed additional points to include within the motion to forge an institutional consensus, such as conducting an economic impact analysis of the legislation; working on the modification of the municipal waste collection regulation; exploring various means to compensate residents; and fostering initiatives to make recycling a habit, though these suggestions were turned down.
The spokesperson for the Assembly, Aida Salazar, reminded the council that in La Orotava “there has been ongoing work for years on a waste collection study that has developed over time.” Perhaps, he suggested, “had measures been instigated earlier, we would now possess a more effective model and ample time for adaptation” to this new charge.
This latter group also introduced a proposal to revoke the title of Villero de Honor from former mayor Isaac Valencia Domínguez, alongside the bust situated in the El Calvario area, a tribute established by the Don Víctor Association. Both the PP and the PSOE refrained from voting and concurred that “the past should be left behind” when more pressing matters need addressing within the municipality.
