"The situation that the Arrecife City Council is currently in is no different from that of other city councils or local corporations that are circumscribed to the community of the Canary Islands." This is how the Minister of Presidency, Justice and Equality of the Government of the Canary Islands, José Miguel Barragán, has expressed himself, who has explained on Radio Lanzarote-Onda Cero the problems faced by institutions with regard to the appointments of auditors, treasurers and secretaries after the entry into force in March of the new regulations governing the legal regime of local administration officials.
In this regard, it should be remembered that the Arrecife City Council is awaiting the incorporation of Martina Manteiga as the new auditor of the institution, following her appointment by the Civil Service on May 10. "While this person occupies this position, the City Council has a problem to solve the problems of this month," said Barragán, who stated that the Government of the Canary Islands is "collaborating" with the Arrecife City Council to find a temporary solution and that "the official who was previously appointed can continue to occupy that position provisionally."
The appointment of said accidental auditor was precisely declared null by the Civil Service, since "the new law says that it cannot be an official who is already in the house", according to Barragán. "And what we are trying to resolve now is the situation that was created when these regulations came into force and the appointment that had been made," added the Minister of Presidency, Justice and Equality of the Government of the Canary Islands, thus pointing out that they are trying to find "a formula" so that "that person can continue to audit the accounts until the new auditor is incorporated."
"What we are trying to do is reconcile the time we need to make that report with the time the City Council also has to audit all those pending payments. And we are both working to do it as best as possible, but also with the maximum legal certainty, which is of interest to both the City Council and us, obviously."
"It doesn't matter the political color"
In this sense, the Minister of Presidency, Justice and Equality of the Government of the Canary Islands has explained that the new law is generating "Kafkaesque" situations in some institutions, in the face of which he has stated that the Fecam has already shown its "concern." "Between the city councils of La Laguna and Santa Cruz de Tenerife, we have had to authorize the appointment of an official from Santa Cruz in La Laguna and another from La Laguna in Santa Cruz, both having the authorization to do so, because the law says that it cannot be an official who is already in the house," said José Miguel Barragán, pointing out that "it is a very similar case to that of Arrecife." "Because Arrecife has personnel who can fill that position and we are practically forcing them to have a person from outside," he indicated.
Thus, Barragán has pointed out that "this issue is like measles", that "it doesn't matter the political color." "We have city councils in this situation governed by different political forces and, therefore, this has nothing to do with a question of the color of the mayor of the day, but rather it is a problem in which we should all be working together to solve it. It is a problem that can happen to any City Council, I insist," concluded the Minister of Presidency, Justice and Equality of the Government of the Canary Islands.
