Redován 17/06/2021. The mayoress of Redován, Nely Ruiz, explained today at a press conference the update of the rubbish tax, which was approved in the plenary session in October last year and which came into force on 1 January. “We reported this fact in October, we informed all channels of communication, in the media, we met last week with traders and hoteliers and we will explain it as many times as necessary,” said the councillor, who pointed out that “it was necessary to make this review of prices that were set in 2003 with a population of 6,000 people for a waste collection service that today, with 8,000 inhabitants, was loss-making and that we have to improve”. Ruiz pointed out that when the landfill had to be changed for the disposal of waste, a minor modification was made, but this is the first time that the rate has been made in depth. Keeping Redován clean costs 753,883.67 euros a year. Of this amount, 475,901.55 corresponds to waste collection and street cleaning; 42,500 to the treatment of rubbish and 235,482.12 to the treatment and disposal of waste. Up until last year, the council was only earning 300,000 euros from the charge, and the revision will therefore bring the annual income from the charge to 470,000 euros. The remaining 40% of the total cost of the service is assumed by the City Council. The mayoress recalled how in the plenary session the opposition groups considered it necessary to update the rate, which was approved with the favourable votes of the PP, the abstention of the PSOE and the negative vote of Unidas Podemos (Ciudadanos was not present at the session).
The revision of the fee was based on a study carried out by SUMA at the request of the Consistory of Redovan. In this study, a comparison was made with the rates paid in other municipalities in the Vega Baja and the prices were compared. In addition, it was taken into account that the increase would be applied according to the amount of waste generated. In this way the households, a total of 3,540, assume a lower cost than other activities. “We are aware that we are asking for an extra effort, especially from shopkeepers and hoteliers, but it is necessary to improve a service for the benefit of all citizens,” said the mayor. The update means an annual increase for homes, which are the most numerous, of 22.55 euros, 1.87 euros per month, as they go from paying 76.45 to 99 euros each year, while large industries, supermarkets and the geriatric have a greater impact. Nely Ruiz has given an account of the costs that the Town Hall has assumed in recent years on account of the deficit in the rubbish tax, around 33% each year with the exception of 2019, as due to the clean-up work by DANA that deficit shot up to 74.85%. “We are at the time of launching a new contract that will be beneficial for all citizens and also for the environment, because it involves an improvement of the machinery, making it more respectful, the change of all containers in addition to the increase of its interior and exterior cleaning, we will triple the number of recycling bins and incorporate the brown, We are also going to triple the number of recycling containers and incorporate the brown one, exclusively for organic waste, and containers for pruning, as well as doubling the number of cleaning staff on our streets”, explained the mayoress, who pointed out that “we must also take into account the increase in recent years due to the transfer to the plant and the disposal of our waste”. During the appearance, the mayoress of Redován recalled the measures adopted by the Town Hall in recent times for both the commercial sector and the hotel and catering trade, such as the suspension of the tax on the occupation of public roads, the closure of streets at weekends, the financial allocation of 6,000 euros to encourage trade, the Plan Resistir aid in which the Town Hall has contributed 25,000 euros together with the Diputación and the Generalitat, and the promotional videos. To conclude, Ruiz recalled that “nobody likes to pay more taxes, but at the end of the day they are to improve the services provided in the municipality, and in Redován we have spent four years with all taxes frozen to try to help, as far as possible, the economy of our people”.
