The provisional approval of the fiscal ordinances – taxes, fees and public prices – for 2024, the first litmus test that Mayor Jaume Collboni must pass, remains up in the air a few hours before his vote. The municipal plenary session decides this Friday to give them the initial green light, which would open a month for political groups, entities and individuals to present allegations, or to reject them definitively. If the latter occurs on January 1, the current ones would remain in force. The minority socialist government seeks support until the last moment to move forward with its proposal, which last week was rejected by the opposition en bloc. This Wednesday an agreement with Junts seemed viable, with whom it would gain a majority, but on Thursday this possibility cooled down.
The matter does not have a great quantitative value because in the event that the 2023 tax ordinances are maintained, the impact on the total income expected for next year would be small for a budget that the government estimates, according to its latest proposal, of 3,735 millions of euros. Yes, there is a relevant qualitative background due to its political significance. Whoever supports the mayor on this issue would mark the ground for a subsequent government pact or for the expansion of the executive itself.
The variable geometry that Collboni would like to apply for a while, at least until governability in Spain is cleared, does not seem like an easy task since the two possible partners, Junts or BComú, want a stable agreement that the PSC does not currently have. has offered them. For its part, ERC, necessary for a leftist entente, does not feel comfortable either and has until now expressed that it prefers to remain in the opposition. The commons, at least until yesterday, maintained their intention to vote against the tax ordinances, just like the Republicans, PP and Vox. Although it was closer to no, Xavier Trias' group did not reveal what it will do.
There is one exception. The tax on bar and restaurant terraces, which the government has agreed with the sector's union and will be voted on separately from the rest of the tax ordinances. Junts, the PP and even Vox have shown themselves open to endorsing the proposal as it was presented and rejected in the Economy and Finance Commission, as long as it is subsequently modified to fulfill that commitment. This would mean, once the 75% bonus due to the Covid crisis disappears, an annual income of 4.6 million instead of the 8.2 million expected with the current scheme.
The rest will be voted on in another block. One of the figures that has focused attention is the IBI, which the government proposes freezing. Junts wants it to be reduced by 2%, which would mean 14 million less income, according to the calculations of this group, which in its opinion are acceptable. BComú, on the other hand, proposes raising it for large holders, which would be equivalent, according to the government, to an increase of 16%.
