Xàbia signs off on 2026 Budget, setting the stage for a busy year

Xàbia Council has given the green light to its Municipal Budget for 2026, a move that officials say will help sharpen long-term planning and ensure smooth delivery of local services, investments and community projects throughout the year. The vote, however, was not without controversy: opposition councillors criticized both the content of the budget and the way the meeting was held.

According to critics, “the most important plenary session of the year” was held – and concluded – “with its back to the residents.” The 9.00am start, they argued, made it nearly impossible for most people to attend in person or follow the session online. Socialist spokesperson José Chulvi described the budget as “a survival budget: sad, without investment and forgetting the people,” adding that the mayor “tried to approve it without public witnesses because she knows her management can’t be defended.”

The Budget Plan

The consolidated budget for 2026 amounts to €61,892,739.28, combining Xàbia’s ordinary budget with that of the public water company AMJASA, which will manage €13.63 million. The municipal portion totals €48.46 million, earmarked for strengthening public services, driving strategic initiatives and meeting the town’s current and future needs.

Nearly half of all ordinary spending – 48.7 percent – will support core municipal services such as beach lifeguard contracts and cleaning of public facilities and schools. The town’s new municipal swimming pool receives dedicated funding for ongoing operation and service quality. A major investment focuses on the restoration of the historic Casa Candelaria (Casa dels Xolbi), part of efforts to preserve and promote Xàbia’s local heritage.

Beyond the ordinary budget, the town hall will continue projects financed through surplus funds. These include the promotion and acquisition of public housing, mobility improvements, road-safety initiatives, better-maintained public spaces, and energy-efficiency actions such as installing solar panels in municipal buildings and replacing street lighting with LEDs. Waste-management upgrades, a second phase of road resurfacing, modernization of sports facilities, and expansion of the Freginal sports complex are also planned. The rollout of the SIDEINFO system aims to strengthen wildfire response capabilities.

On the economic front, Xàbia will renew consumer-support initiatives like Bonoconsumo and continue promoting local products through the Xàbia KmX initiative. Administrative steps also continue toward transferring the desalination plant to AMJASA, as well as advancing the Central Cinema and future Auditorium projects. Another highlight for 2026 will be the start of construction on Montaner Park, funded jointly by the Generalitat Valenciana and the local council.

Opposition Pushback: Housing and Local Commerce

The PSOE-PSPV, joined in one proposal by Compromís councillor Carme Cardona, said the budget fails to address key social needs, especially housing. Two motions they presented – both rejected by mayor Rosa Cardona’s government – would have had “immediate effects” on residents’ quality of life, they argued.

They point to remarks by the councillor responsible for Commerce, Juan Luis Cardona (PP), who acknowledged that the budget does not include a single euro specifically to help residents access housing, beyond emergency Social Services aid that excludes many who don’t meet the strict criteria. In response, the PSOE and Compromís proposed allocating €70,000 for housing support, redirecting the funds from the institutional publicity budget, which is set to increase by 250 percent next year.

PSOE spokesperson and former mayor José Chulvi said that “instead of spending on self-promotion and paid-for justifications in friendly newspapers, that money should go to the people so that living in Xàbia isn’t impossible for thousands of young people and families.”

Local commerce was another flashpoint. Councillor Ximo Segarra (PSOE) recalled that Juan Luis Cardona said in an interview that there would be no “Bono Comercio” this year, and that only after criticism from the opposition did the government rush to launch the programme. According to Segarra, the paperwork to initiate the aid wasn’t even signed until a day after the Socialists’ press release.

This year’s vouchers will be funded with €200,000, but the Socialists argue that the amount is insufficient given past demand and proposed doubling it to €400,000.

Looking Ahead

Municipal leaders say that approving the budget within the legal deadline allows the town to plan effectively, maintain essential services and anticipate future needs. The opposition, meanwhile, insists that the plan falls short and leaves too many residents behind.