The Redován Town Council yesterday approved in plenary session the Budget 2023, an ‘atypical’ document, as explained by the Councillor for Finance, José Nájar, but necessary to close the year in a situation of budgetary stability in the municipal coffers, while responding to the needs of the citizens. The budget amounts to 6,151,193.90 euros in both income and expenditure, “and if it has not been presented earlier is because the financial situation and the exponential increase in certain costs such as energy or items of treatment and disposal of waste have not allowed,” said Nájar. The head of Finance has stated that the price increase caused by the situation, especially because of the war in Ukraine, has raised the price of services, especially in everything related to energy and fuel costs “which, in the City Council, as in our homes, has also risen”.
Thus, the cost of waste collection increases by more than 40%, from the 577,336.49 euros planned in 2022 to 809,824.39 this 2023. The same applies to the cost of street lighting, which goes from 287,753.30 euros to 566,000, a 90% increase, while personnel costs, although to a lesser extent, increases slightly more than 10%. Despite this, Nájar has assured that from the government team “we have bet this 2023 to promote culture, trade or security, increasing the item for Culture by just over 16,000 euros, as well as everything related to festivals and Christmas activities and neighborhoods, among others, “with the intention of involving all the people who live in Redován of the actions with which we want to return to normality, which we are so eager to recover in all areas,” he said.
In the chapter on income, those related to indirect taxes (IBI, IVTM, capital gains and IAE) rise. At this point, José Nájar commented that the City Council’s own taxes remain frozen, so this increase is due to the incorporation of new homes to the municipal census, as well as in the IAE. The City Council also receives more in the tax on constructions and works ICIO, especially for the works of the Edificant Plan, with the actions in the school and institute.
In the income from municipal taxes, the bonuses for vulnerable groups such as pensioners, large families, the unemployed, the disabled and young people are maintained, but they are increased as the number of users of public spaces such as the municipal swimming pool has increased, as well as because the tax for occupation of public roads with terraces has ceased to be suspended this year. For its part, the expenses increase by 2.61% over the previous budget to reach the aforementioned amount of 6,151,193.90 euros. Staff costs are up for the incorporation of people to the municipal staff to improve efficiency in management; also current expenses, especially for the increase in electricity supply and waste collection; increases the amount of grants that are awarded and, with all that, the City Council maintains a contingency fund with 3,500 euros for unforeseen events that may arise. The councilman of Finance has reiterated the need to move forward the budget document to finish the year in economic balance, while work is already underway on the budget for 2024 that we hope to be able to present as soon as possible.
