The municipal groups of the Popular Party and Vox have reached an agreement to approve the budget of the Alicante City Council for 2024, something they did not achieve in the previous year, when the government chaired by Luis Barcala was forced to extend the accounts for 2022.
The PP has accepted the condition demanded by Vox: that the future ordinance of the Low Emissions Zone does not contemplate any sanctioning procedure. In a statement, the government team assures that it will comply "with what is stipulated in the law in this regard, but without restricting the fundamental rights of Alicante residents and protecting the local economy, mainly in the affected areas."
In addition, the Popular Party accepts the inclusion of 20 of the 26 amendments presented by Vox, which will vote in favor of the municipal budgets in the Finance commission this Thursday and the subsequent extraordinary plenary session that will be convened in the coming days. One million euros is also budgeted to effectively develop the professional careers of officials, which was a requirement in the agreement reached by both groups last October for the implementation of the new management structure of the City Council.
“We are very satisfied with this agreement because the Vox amendments help to improve our budget project to continue moving forward with the greatest possible stability in the transformation and improvement of Alicante,” declared Mayor Luis Barcala.
In his explanation, the first mayor assures that "Vox's demand for the Low Emissions Zone coincides with my commitment already announced during the electoral campaign that no sanctions will be imposed", although he clarifies: "if it is not technically necessary and so "They confirm the reports from the City Council secretariat and the Environment area."
For her part, Vox spokesperson Carmen Robledillo has stressed that her party “has come to the City Council to work responsibly and solely by and for the people of Alicante. We are happy to know that we are right and that it was not necessary to sanction the people of Alicante and condemn small businesses for climate fundamentalism.” “For us,” she added, “the fines and restrictions of the Low Emission Zone were and are a red line, as we have been warning since we learned about the ZBE project of the previous Government team.”
The Budget project for next year prepared by the Government team amounts to 359.26 million euros, the highest figure in the history of the council, and represents an increase of 27.8% compared to the last one approved in 2022. In terms of security, at the proposal of Vox, the study and project of the Local Police Station for the Northern Zone and the increase in the fleet of vehicles of the force are incorporated, as well as the implementation of the Local Police Station on Avenida del Locutor Vicente Hipólito in Playa de San Juan and the promotion of a service to combat the illegal occupation of homes.
The agreement also contemplates Vox's requests regarding the updating of the Nativity Scene Museum, the increase in the endowment of the Bullfighting School and the beginning of work for the creation of the Holy Week Museum, a historical demand of the Alicante brotherhood community. .
With respect to tourism and small businesses, a digitalization aid program is determined for the self-employed and small merchants in order to improve their competitiveness; the installation of shaded areas in the main commercial areas; the installation of canopies at taxi ranks in tourist spots and the improvement of accessibility and the installation of toilets for people with disabilities on beaches.
Among the measures proposed by Vox, the municipal government has also incorporated the creation of care offices for dependent caregivers to care for pregnant women with economic, social or family difficulties.
Regarding actions in the neighborhoods, the agreement reached highlights the inclusion of the completion of the redevelopment of Avenida de Niza de la Playa de San Juan with the beginning of the works of the third phase, the reform and improvement of Vial de Los Cipreses and adjacent roads, as well as the beginning of the study and project work of a comprehensive action plan in San Antón.
Finally, the municipal government has agreed with Vox to monitor the execution of this budget agreement, by holding meetings on a bimonthly basis to evaluate the degree of compliance with the measures. In addition, PP and Vox will maintain a line of dialogue to prepare the credit modification files for the application of Treasury remainders. Those meetings will be attended by the Councilor for the Treasury, Toni Gallego, on behalf of the Government team, and the spokesperson for Vox, Carmen Robledillo, and the head of the Treasury for this group, Mario Ortolá.
