Mojácar Council recently approved its municipal budget of just over 11 Million Euros which is around 75,000 Euros less than the previous year.
Mojácar’s Mayor, Rosmari Cano, pointed out that the balance between expenditure and income expected for 2019 has has been set out with attention to the needs of the town and the requests made throughout the year to the municipal offices as well as to her personally.
She described the budget as realistic, with the income from 2018 taken into account in order to prepare the new statement of expenditure. The Mayor also reported that the Council has a healthy financial position and of the loans from the banks in 2009 and 2012, which together amounted to more than 4 Million Euros, they currently owe just over one Million Euros. It is also anticipated that by March 2019, this amount will be reduced even more. Financial expenses in the budget for 2019 have been reduced by 41% compared to last year, which has been possible thanks to the debt reduction and correspondingly less interest to pay.
With regard to expenses, the largest item relates to staff, with a cost of over four and a half Million, which has increased due to revised salaries and new job positions in the Local Police. 53% of the revenue relates to urban IBI and the tax on the increase in the value of urban land represents almost 10% of the budget, with the vehicle tax 4.08%.
Investments account for almost 2 Million Euros, with 44 planned areas of work, including the renovation and installation public lighting, asphalting and road repairs, metal and steel items and, the improvement of the roads are all included on the list of most important projects. Upgrading services on the beach and parks as well as the continuity of the Mojácar la Vieja archaeological works, among others, are also envisaged.
Many of these investments are of a yearly nature and financed entirely with the town’s own resources and any other works carried out in the year to come will be financed through grants, without cost to the municipality.
The Senior Citizens’ Residence is one of the most important investments due to its great need and the Mayor reiterated the fact that 25% of Mojácar’s population is over 65 years old with a large number of those being between 80 and 100 years old and without any family help. For the building of the Residence, which is already underway, it is planned that in 2019 an amount of over one Million Euros will be contributed.
Finally, according to the auditors report included in the first item on the agenda, the estimates presented comply with budgetary stability in their implementation.
