The Tarragona government team (PSC) has gone from stating that the city is "bankrupt" in two months to presenting the budget with the most investment in history.
The Minister of Economy and Finance, Isabel Mascaró, has detailed that in the plenary session on November 29, accounts of 205 million euros will be put to a vote, with a planned current expenditure of 188.2 million euros (7.3% more) and an investment package of 21 million euros, a concept that for the first time exceeds 20 million euros. Of these 21 million, 14 will be obtained through loans. Mascaró has guaranteed that services will not be cut or their quality will not be lowered, and that the remainder remaining from fiscal year 2023 will be used to amortize outstanding debt, which next year is expected to be below 80%.
Mascaró commented that the "priorities" of the accounts will be "the boost to economic activation and promotion of the city brand, social housing, culture, heritage, sports and improvement in the energy transition."
One of the elements that worried the head of the Municipal Economy is current spending, which rises by 12 million to 188. To balance the accounts without reducing services, the municipal government proposes a 5% cut to municipal companies, in addition to obtain 6.5 million via an increase in ordinances, 1.8 through a refinancing of ICO credits and the provision of 2.3 million from the State, among others.
As for investments, they will go from 11 million to 21 million. Of these, 14 million will be through loans, 4 million thanks to recovering money from projects that had not been fully implemented, 2.1 million from the sale of assets and 0.6 million from subsidies from other administrations. However, the municipal government will not develop large projects, but the money will mainly be used to improve public space, municipal equipment, investments in energy efficiency or acquisition of homes to be used for social rental.
Mascaró has celebrated that they have "managed to balance the budget without having to wait for the remainder", which will "cautiously" be used to reduce the debt. In fact, this year the council has been able to pay off 14 million debts.
Regarding the approval of the accounts, Mascaró commented that the conversations are still open. In any case, he thanked Junts por Catalunya and En Comú Podem for the support they gave them to carry out the increase in tax ordinances, and ERC for announcing an abstention that will allow the vote on a budget that he described as "city and consensus".
