The secretary-auditor of Tinajo, Natalia García Valcárcel, has already left her post at the Town Hall. The official had announced her decision since last October, but this Thursday she made it official and said goodbye to the Council during a plenary session held in the municipality. In addition, the former secretary explained to all the political groups present the reasons that led her to make this decision, and pointed to three Town Hall workers.
According to some of the participants in that meeting, Natalia García even said that those three people had "kidnapped" the Council. However, the mayor, Jesús Machín, has denied this, although he has confirmed that there was "a confrontation with some colleagues". In addition, he has questioned that the content of that conversation has been leaked.
"I think it's regrettable that they have already gone to tell the media something that was said internally. She spoke clearly and sincerely and said that she raised that because there were no media in front. She will be very disappointed," Machín said on Radio Lanzarote, when asked about the issue.
Regarding the official's words, the mayor said that "everyone in life has the right to express themselves in their own way and as they believe". "It is not shared, but the opinion is respectable", he added.
"A personal problem"
"When she arrived here we talked, she raised some things with me, I raised others, we even had some words of clarification. She met with the rest of the staff and that's how things were. There are people who, due to different ways, clashed, or did not do things as she said or as she understood, and that is a personal problem, as there are problems between 20,000 workers who clash or do not understand each other, simply that," Machín said, adding that "there is nothing to hide and nothing to conceal here".
In addition, the mayor assured that when he learned about the situation, he did take measures. "I was presented with a proposal to make some changes, because she said that she was not going to work with that person, and those changes have been made, and a person has been moved to another place," Machín explained.
However, when questioned about why the official maintained her intention to leave, Machín said that "that was only one of the factors", but not the only one, and also pointed to personal issues of Natalia García to adopt this decision. "I could be selfish and try to convince her to stay here, but above the interests of the Town Hall and the institutions, I believe that there are those of the people," he added.
"It touches one's sensitivity"
In addition, despite the controversies that have been experienced in recent months around the figure of the secretary-auditor, especially after a report in which she warned of the payment of some statute-barred invoices and others that were not recorded in the Registry, the mayor has defended his good relationship with the official.
"It touches one's sensitivity. When a person leaves crying, because of how well they have felt, despite having had some friction or some difference with a colleague or whatever? If I were to say the words she has said to me, people would tell me that I am saying words that interest me, and I prefer to respect the personal," he said, adding later that words like "I will never find a person like you", "touch anyone's heart". And then, he insisted that he thinks it is "a total lack of respect" that "what she said" at the end of the plenary session with the councilors has reached the media.
"Announced" transfer to Tacoronte
Now, Natalia García Valcárcel will occupy a new position as secretary in the Tacoronte Town Hall. In fact, Jesús Machín has indicated that he has known for some time the official's intention to leave Tinajo, because the mayor of this municipality told him. "She told me one day that she wanted to take a day off because she wanted to rest and when we finished the conversation the mayor of Tacoronte called me, Alvaro Pérez, and said: Look Suso, this person is coming to see me. I don't want to do you any harm. If I offend you or something, I don't want to harm you," Machín explained, who assures that he told him "with sincerity what he thought of her": that she is "very hardworking and very decisive".
Regarding the future of the Tinajo Town Hall, Machín has advanced that he intends to fill this position with "a person from the Cabildo". "I was offered it two years ago and now I have turned to her. I already spoke with the president of the Cabildo and I will speak with that person to see if she has already decided, because it would be important," he said.
