Castalla approves the 2022 budget with more investment in social services and subsidies

• The annual accounts grow to 9,144,404 euros and continue in the line of reducing taxes for citizens as in previous years
• The budget rises by 67,000 euros from the previous year with increases in the items dedicated to street cleaning, waste collection and the environment

Castalla Town Council has approved the Municipal Budgets for the year 2022 during the Extraordinary Plenary Session held on 17th February. The general accounts total 9,144,404.40 euros and follow the government team’s line of increasing investment in social services, with the aim of continuing the work done in areas of social welfare, housing and equality. Compared to the previous year, the budget has increased by 67,000 euros. All in all, the budget maintains the reduction of taxes and bonuses for the citizens of the town.

The mayor of Castalla, Antonio Bernabeu, stressed that “the budgets are prepared with the utmost rigor and efficiency to ensure the sound financial management of our Consistory”. The mayor said that “this way of working allows us to constantly improve public services for our citizens and also to expand the facilities we have in Castalla”. Thus, Bernabeu added, “the general accounts comply with the rules of budgetary stability, with realistic, balanced and adjusted to the needs of the city”.

Specifically, the general accounts stand out for the growth of the Social Services, Social Welfare, Housing and Equality items. The budget for these items for 2022 amounts to 772,263.04 euros, which represents 9% of the total project. This represents an increase of 118,687 euros compared to 2021, equivalent to a growth of 18%. The councillor for Social Welfare, Maite Gimeno, explained that “the government team is firmly committed to the social welfare of our residents, which is one of the cornerstones of the council’s daily work”.

On the other hand, the budgets do not contemplate any tax increases for the citizens. The Real Estate Tax (IBI) has a significant reduction, in the downward line that began in 2016. For the councillor for Finance, Gema Sánchez, “this is a measure that benefits all families in Castalla. To date we have managed to save 32% in the payment of this tax, which means that the Town Hall has stopped collecting 4,800,000 euros that have remained in the pockets of our fellow citizens in some complicated years, marked by the pandemic”. In addition, the 95% rebate on capital gains tax in the case of inheritances is also maintained.

Likewise, Street Cleaning and Waste Collection have also seen an increase in the spending budget for this year. The City Council is working to improve these services with complementary actions to those specific to the municipal cleaning contract. In this way, in 2022 these expenses are also expected to grow by an additional 70,000 euros.

Another important aspect of the general accounts is the commitment to the environment, which includes investment in policies to preserve the environment and natural areas of Castalla. This is the framework for the sustainable development of the city, in which the aim is to make progress over the next few years. The amount earmarked for this purpose totals 20,000 euros. The Urban Agenda 2030 project launched by the City Council, in collaboration with local social, economic and political agents, is another example of the work to achieve a more connected, productive, diverse and open city, with defined sustainable development objectives.

By items, the areas of Culture and Education each account for nearly 5% of the overall budget, with allocations of 481,223.59 and 422,466.67 euros, respectively. In turn, Sports accounts for 10% of the total expenditure, with 920,166.06 euros. This includes the planned investment in the works and improvements to the municipal velodrome. As for Parks and Gardens, this section will have 250,340 euros to carry out its actions, 3% of the total. For its part, the area of Tourism and Commerce will have 151,044.73 euros for 2022, equivalent to 2% of the general accounts. This includes the ‘Gift Cards’ initiative for the promotion of consumption in local commerce, which has worked very positively over the last few years, involving an investment of 20,000 euros.

Finally, we must take into account other complementary items of great importance for the Town Hall, such as the constant improvement and adaptation of the entire drinking water and sewage network of the town.

New impetus for the San Isidro Fair in Castalla

The new budget includes a relevant item for the San Isidro Fair in Castalla. A festival that has not been able to be held in previous editions due to the impact of Covid-19, but which the Town Council had already had in mind to give a new boost to. This year the town will celebrate the 28th edition of the fair, with the aim of making it one of the most important events in the area. In total, the project will receive an investment of 130,000 euros, which is 40,000 euros more than in recent years.

The mayor of Castalla, Antonio Bernabeu, announced that “we are working with an experienced company to carry out a study and analysis of the situation of the San Isidro Fair to make it a benchmark event in the whole province”. In this sense, added the mayor, “the fair will become an important economic engine for Castalla, which will give us visibility and relevance at regional, provincial and regional level.