The Finance Committee of the Arrecife City Council approved on the morning of Monday, February 28, a budget for 2022 amounting to 56,095,496 euros, "with an eminently social character, aimed at creating employment and facing the challenges derived from the economic crisis caused by Covid-19".
These accounts will be approved in the ordinary plenary session on March 7 and, according to the Consistory, "reflect the enormous effort to optimize resources after the reduction of income by 29.68% compared to 2021, due to the fact that capital transfers are reduced by 26.53% and financial liabilities by 100%". And, they continue explaining, "maintaining the commitment of the Government Group not to raise municipal taxes, but managing to improve the collection rates that are reflected in an increase of 11.12% of direct income, while achieving a decrease of 30.86% of the public debt of the City Council with respect to 2021".
In addition, they emphasize that "increasing spending one more year where it is necessary, mainly in terms of Social Services and employment promotion, which experience a growth of 15.50% compared to the 2021 budget, as well as economic actions for the Commerce, Tourism, SMEs and Public Transport sector, which increase by a percentage of 6.43% compared to last year".
For the mayor of Arrecife and head of Finance, Astrid Pérez "the current economic, social and health situation indicates that we must continue to strengthen the protection of families and social actions, while promoting job creation as the best social policy"
The expenditure on subsidies for Social Services and Employment Promotion amounts to 5.5 million euros, increasing the items allocated to charitable and welfare care for the most vulnerable families, social action subsidies, the elderly and aid for school supplies.
Also noteworthy in this section is "the economic boost to Health, Education, Culture and Sports with a contribution of 1,101,500 euros, which is 11.71% more than in the 2021 financial year". With regard to expenditure on economic actions, these amount to 2,565,115.85 euros and translate, among other actions, into support for SMEs, tourism and commercial promotion, employment promotion and subsidies for public transport for the adaptation of adapted vehicles and the modernization of the taxi service.
Almost 4 million for investments
Chapter 6 of Investments of the 2022 Budget amounts to 3,918,130.95 euros, with an item for Public Services amounting to 1,736,715.28 euros for the beautification and adaptation of beaches, the improvement of parks, gardens and children's areas, the new Local Police station, the remodeling of Canalejas street, the renovation of public lighting in Charco de San Ginés and other neighborhoods, the conditioning and expansion works of the San Román Cemetery and the Rainwater and Sanitation Network, among other public interventions.
It also includes in this section 1,860,000 euros for the maintenance of Public Schools, the rehabilitation of the Youth Center, the works in the Socio-cultural Centers, the conditioning of the Animal Protection Center, the improvement of sports facilities and the works in the Municipal Sports Park.
New Technologies and the General Administration will have an investment of 206,415.67 euros for general actions, as well as another item of 115,000 euros for the areas of Commerce, Tourism and Public Transport with the adaptation of bus shelters and the Improvement Plan of the Municipal Transport Service, among other investments.
With respect to indirect income, it also increases by 6.41%, that is, taxes on construction, installations and works, IGTE and IGIC, "due to the economic recovery that our municipality is experiencing and the promotion of public works through the Investment Plan aimed at improving the infrastructure and public spaces of the center and the neighborhoods of our city, and the rehabilitation of historical and cultural heritage" according to the mayor of Arrecife, Astrid Pérez.
In the section of fees and other income, this year's accounts also acquire upward values in an 8.41% increase and current transfers also experience a growth of 9.83%.
