Councilor for Economic Services, Paco Roselló, has presented the budget proposal for 2022, which will be submitted to the plenary vote next Friday, in an extraordinary session. If those of 2021 were budgets conditioned by COVID and the need to deal with the most immediate consequences on certain economic sectors and people in vulnerable situations, "this year's are the budgets for the economic recovery and with which we will complete the transformation project of the city committed to this legislature”, highlighted the mayor.
The accounts for 2022 amount to 70.798.427 euros and are around 7% higher than the amount of the previous year (€66.838.000). "We are recovering, therefore, from the logical drop derived from the drop in economic activity during the pandemic period and the consequent reduction in income from fees and others," explained Roselló. The councilor has also pointed out that the gross savings (due to the difference between expenses and current income) achieved this year stands at more than 5 million euros.
In fact, the revenue forecast for fees and others (such as the contribution of the Next Generation funds: €800.000 for this annuity) is close to 14 million, while last year it was about 12. Likewise, the revenue forecast of direct taxes rises 1,44%.
Among the income, the Generalitat subsidies for the promotion of employment stand out, "which will allow us to continue offering job opportunities in a context that is still recovering", such as the help lines for the hiring of ECOVID personnel. Added to these subsidies is the municipal effort to strengthen the Urban Planning and Human Resources departments and the endowment of the new Office of City Strategies.
In total, more than €1.500.000 allocated to recruitment.
In the breakdown by budget programs, the Parties and Sports areas recover the investment lost in the pandemic period, with items of €897.000 and €1.985.000, respectively. And the Department of Social Services maintains the trend to increase and this year exceeds €2.600.000, an increase of €600.000 compared to the 2021 budget, thanks, among other reasons, to the program contract signed with the Generalitat, within the regional project restructuring of social services.
Transformation of urban space
In the investment chapter, a total of €10.451.093 (14,76% of the budget), in addition to the more than 4 million from the Generalitat Building Plan, for the improvement and construction of educational infrastructures, highlights the weight of the investments in public roads, €3.300.000, section which includes the "major transformation projects of the city".
To complete the redevelopment of Plaça de Valgamedios, €130.000 has been reserved; and the urbanization of the accesses to the future Raquel Payà center, already underway, has €619.000. These budgets also include the construction of two roundabouts: at the intersection of Pintor Llorens with Marquesado (€135.000) and at the Santa Llúcia roundabout (€126.000).
The emblematic remodeling projects of the urban center also receive in the 2022 accounts the final appropriation to make them a reality: the redevelopment of Glorieta and surrounding streets has an item of €950.000, and the improvement of Marqués de Campo, €330.000, two actions co-financed by the City Council and Provincial Council. On the other hand, the park on the site of the old ambulatory will be carried out with €700.000 from Next Generation funds.
Among the investments, there are also the pending projects chosen by the citizens in the latest editions of the Participatory Budgets: the resurfacing of Paseo de la Marineta (€170.000), improvements to the Pou de la Muntanya path (€120.000), new sidewalks for the Puerto-Centro neighborhood (€25.000), points of light for the Montgo (€40.000) and the Bosc de Diana picnic area (€60.000).
In the Santa Llúcia Residence, in 2022 the remodeling of the toilets on the first floor (€17.500) and the conditioning of a new warehouse (€21.700) will be added to the recent improvement actions.
