At the proposal of the Department of Economy and Finance, directed by Oscar Noda, the Plenary of the Yaiza City Council unanimously approved this Thursday to reduce the rates of the Tax on Mechanical Traction Vehicles, known as road tax. According to the City Council, "the significant reduction of this tax, starting in 2013, alleviates the burden on Yaiza residents in a delicate economic moment and also aims to stimulate the registration, in the municipality, of vehicles of companies and individuals."
Cars with 8 to 11.99 horsepower, which represent the majority of vehicles registered in Yaiza, with 3,747 units, go from paying 54.52 euros to paying 34.08 euros, while cars with 12 to 15.99 horsepower, the second group in number of registered vehicles, with 1,659 units, will pay 71.94 euros when until this year they had to pay 115.11 euros. The tax reduction, always considerable, applies to cars, buses, trucks, tractors, trailers and motorcycles.
The mayor of Yaiza, Gladys Acuña, clarified that in no case "this measure will be offset by raising other taxes." Although "in theory the City Council would stop receiving about 210,000 euros taking into account the current census, the forecasts taking into account the call effect, due to new registrations of vehicles of companies and individuals, would mean about 125,000 euros more for public coffers," they maintain from the City Council. According to data from the register of the Tax on Mechanical Traction Vehicles, Yaiza has 7,633 registered vehicles. The total amount of the register in 2012, as a recognized net right, amounted to 557,566.79 euros.
In addition, from the Consistory they add that "if families have difficulties in meeting their obligations and are in trouble to comply with the payment of their taxes, companies also seek the economy by registering vehicles in municipalities other than Yaiza as a result of the current fees." From now on, Yaiza is positioned as one of the municipalities that will have the cheapest road tax in Lanzarote. In any case, the decision of the southern City Council, in the words of the mayor, "is the first of others aimed at reducing the rates of the different municipal taxes."
Ordering of public space
On the other hand, with the abstention of the political groups of the opposition, CC and PSOE, the government group, PIL, PNL and PP, approved the municipal ordinance regulating the occupation of free spaces for public or private use by extension of authorized activity.
Among other things, the ordinance will ensure the correct occupation of the terraces, including the installation of tables and chairs, or the installation of exhibitors and other elements outside the stores. "It is no secret that in Playa Blanca there is visual contamination in certain areas due to the high number of exhibitors, easels and other similar elements," they point out from the City Council.
The technical report argues that these facilities must be subject to limitations and conditions that allow to reconcile in the best possible way, the use of conventional sidewalks, pedestrian zones and other public spaces, with the different forms of occupation, with the right of residents to rest and free transit through the aforementioned areas, in addition to increasing the quality of these facilities in order to ensure safety, hygienic-sanitary conditions of the occupation elements, as well as public decoration.