NEW BUS STATION MOST POPULAR VOTE FOR 2012 DRAFT BUDGET PROJECTS
Friday 18th November 2011

For the first time, residents of Jávea have been able to decide which projects will benefit from the town’s tight budget for 2012.  Continuing the current administration’s promise to involve the community in the revival of the town, members of the Agenda 21 forum group were able to choose from 15 proposals made by the council that could be included in next year’s budget and the desire to see a proper bus station to be developed in Avenida Palmela won top place. Other projects that have been chosen include new changing rooms and showers for the beach areas, a skate park for young people, a “punto verde” recycling bin area in the Flor de la Neu zone in Cap Martí and another exterior gymnasium for adults.

The available budget for these proposals amounts to 423,065 euros, which thus ruled out the next popular choice: the construction of a roof over the small football arena in Frechinal, often used for outdoor discos and community dinners, which would have cost somewhere in the region of 300,000 euros to install. Instead, it was decided to continue with the list sorted into votes collected and look at projects which include the renewal of the games area on the Arenal beach, the construction of two “pádel” courts in Mezquides and the covering of the tree bases to prevent tripping.

Cesc Camprubi explained that the system to choose the projects was not the perfect system to do so but had been chosen because of the urgency needed for the proposals to be submitted to vote in the council chambers on Tuesday 22nd November and allow the budget to take effect in early January 2012. Yet Camprubi, along with mayor José Chulvi and Oscar Ánton, councillor responsible for Finance, said that it showed their intentions to encourage more citizen representation in civic projects and that they hoped that many more ideas will come out of the proposals for social and economic revitalization of the town through the ‘Strategic Plan’.

In addition to the projects chosen by popular vote, the draft budget for 2012 includes investments proposed by the town’s executive board, which include the completion of Avenida Augusta (for which 414,000 euros has been set aside) as well as the co-financing of a permanent roundabout at the junction between Avenida del Arenal and Avenida del Pla (149,000 euros) and 60,000 euros for improvements to drainage in Calle Niza in the Arenal which often faces serious flood. Some 180,000 euros has been allocated to equipping the new port library, 21,000 euros for the purchase of municipal vehicles, 12,000 euros for two motorbikes for the local police, 20,000 euros for furniture for municipal parks and open areas and 4,000 euros for installing alarm systems in municipal buildings. Also budgeted is a project to install solar panels, conditional of the sale of municipal assets, and an obligation to pay some 1.2 million euros for works on roads and municipal buildings.

At the public meeting which presented the draft budget for 2012, Oscár Ánton, councillor for Finance, explained that the financial plan amounted to 38,761,928 euros, some 3.5% up on the previous year.  Almost 35% would be allocated personnel costs, just over 39% on services, some 3.8% on interest on borrowings and 4.5% on grants to clubs and associations. About 2.75 million euros (7.1%) has been allocated to investment on projects whilst 35,000 euros (0.1%) will be donated to aid the Third World. And 4.1 million euros (10.6%) to pay bills of existing bank loans.

Ánton confirmed that the municipal debt which was 12 million euros in 2005 had risen to 41 million euros due to investments made by previous administrations. He said that the current government team was committed to not taking out new loans and work to reduce the debt as soon as possible. Mayor José Chulvi added that he would fight for any grant or aid for projects at municipal level that are presently difficult to accomplish.

Source: Press Release - Xabia Ajuntament