The San Bartolomé City Council has approved in plenary session, by an absolute majority, the municipal budgets for 2026, which amount to more than 27.5 million euros, representing an increase of 3.5 million compared to the previous year.
It is the highest budget in the history of the municipality, accounts that consolidate the economic stability of the institution and reinforce the "commitment of the governing group with social policies, support for families and the improvement of public services".
The 2026 financial report once again places at the center of the government team's political action "that which truly matters: people, public services, and the fulfillment of commitments made to citizens".
The mayor of San Bartolomé, Isidro Pérez, highlighted that “these budgets are the reflection of a responsible management model, which has allowed the municipal economy to be strengthened even without large external revenues since we are not a tourist municipality and, however, our management has allowed us to increase municipal accounts by 15%”.
In this regard, Pérez explained that "the financial allocation for the social sphere is reinforced, as are the lines of action for essential programs, while maintaining a budgetary policy aimed at directly responding to the needs of San Bartolomé, as a progressive municipality committed to its residents."
That is the main political and social reading of the budget: "more capacity to do, more capacity to respond and more capacity to fulfill".
The comparison with the year 2025 is especially significant. Moving from a reference of 24 million euros to a budget of 27,556,311.13 euros in 2026 "not only allows us to note a favorable evolution of municipal finances, but also to visualize the path taken by this City Council".
For his part, the Councilor for Finance of the San Bartolomé City Council, Antonio Rocío, emphasized that "this budgetary increase means a greater capacity for response, for expenditure execution, and for the development of investments that directly benefit the municipality. The majority is executed with own, municipal funds, which highlights the management and effort to move forward with projects and services that are now benchmarks in Lanzarote".
"The budgets of the San Bartolomé City Council for 2026 show a stronger, more prepared administration with greater administrative problem-solving capacity, the result of sustained, balanced, and responsible management designed from the first year of the municipal term in 2023," concludes Rocío.
A collective effort conceived and executed "thanks to the professionals and people who make up the municipal technical team from all areas".
A budget sheet that grows
The San Bartolomé City Council will have significant increases in its 2026 budgets in different areas. Thus, a 30% economic increase is reflected in the items linked to public services, with direct attention to people being one of the cornerstones of this governing group.
Furthermore, there is a 25% increase in items associated with social services, mainly in emergency aid and priority plans to curb unwanted loneliness and home help assistance.
In this regard, the budget for the areas of sport, culture, and community services increases by 20% and scholarships for students from San Bartolomé show a real increase of 20% compared to the previous year.
It is also planned to incorporate approximately 4 million euros into this budget to continue advancing in demanded projects and works such as sports facilities, sociocultural centers, and public squares and gardens.
To govern "is to prioritize". Axes and actions.
The 2026 budget is structured around a series of strategic axes that reflect the model of municipality that is being consolidated in San Bartolomé. The mayor of San Bartolomé, Isidro Pérez, emphasizes that the social progress of this municipality starts from a clear premise: "collective strategy and collective well-being so as not to leave anyone behind".
Among the recent actions and plans executed by the San Bartolomé government team in the last three years and which are included in these municipal accounts for 2026 are consolidated and fundamental actions for the quality of life of the residents.
The first of them is the strengthening of social and care policies, with resources such as the Family Respite Center, which consolidates care for dependent persons and support for families, advancing in work-life balance and well-being, a center that has just recently turned two years old and is fully financed with its own funds, around 400,000 euros.
Secondly, the boost to education and equal opportunities, through the increase in transport and accommodation aid for students, ensuring that economic situation does not limit access to training. In this regard, the San Bartolomé City Council has two municipal nursery schools, and will again allocate 350,000 euros in study grants in this fiscal year, reaching up to 1,200 euros per student, the highest scholarship amount awarded by a Lanzarote city council for its young population.
Another fundamental pillar is the active care for older people, through programs such as the Active Aging Plan, which promotes participation, autonomy, and social integration.
The budget also incorporates animal welfare as a priority, consolidating a stable public policy with actions such as the ethical management of feline colonies and the implementation of specific services.
Added to this is the decisive support for sports and sports infrastructure, reinforcing the role of clubs and grassroots sports as tools for social cohesion and healthy habits, working on the execution of projects that will facilitate sports practice in San Bartolomé.
Culture and the associative fabric constitute another of the essential pillars, understood as engines of coexistence, social dynamization, and citizen participation.
Finally, the improvement of public space and municipal infrastructures is promoted, with strategic projects such as the underground parking, collective use building and square in Santa Elena, in Playa Honda, which will involve an investment of six million euros entirely financed with municipal funds.
These axes "show that the budget is not just an economic forecast, but a tool for transformation that is based on real, ongoing actions aligned with the legislature's commitments".
The governing group of San Bartolomé emphasizes that these accounts consolidate a line of work focused on social improvements and the quality of public services, reaffirming a management model based on closeness, responsibility, and direct attention to citizens.
“Today we have approved accounts that are growing and that, above all, put people at the center of political action. Governing is prioritizing, and in San Bartolomé we are clear that our priorities are social policies, education, families, and public services that guarantee the quality of life for our neighbors,” emphasizes Mayor Isidro Pérez.