Sitges Reference: a ruinous operation

The City Hall of Sitges submitted to the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor all the necessary documentation concerning the process of award, construction and management of the Sitges Reference building. The alleged irregularities that have been committed in this operation, and all the obvious errors in all the planning and management functions of the building, are the main reasons why this sad affair is now a hot item in all the media.

 The building was promoted and built by a company participated by 50% by the City Hall, with the goal of installing business offices in Sitges. The original intention of the initiative was correct, but the process was erratic from the start, both in development and in its subsequent management. Such statements can be highlighted by the fact that no company from Sitges or from outside chose the building to install their operations, among other factors, because the prices offered by the company were much higher those offered by the market (at that time Real Estate had not collapsed yet as in recent months).

 Back in the day, the groups that integrate the current government of the New Majority, back then in the opposition, denounced the relocation of most municipal facilities in the Sitges Reference building just because they did not find any company interested in installing their offices there. Such relocation was carried out under erroneous terms and dismalling economic conditions for the already floundering municipal finances. 

And the City Hall, as a result of this decision, had to assume an absurd and overly exaggerated monthly payment. This decision, taken by the previous municipal government, was the last drop in an endless a chain of planning errors (a flagrant demonstration that the goal of Sitges Reference was never achieved and was a total failure) and a disaster in economic terms (as it meant that the City Council had to pay rent for their own property). Worst of all is that now we're paying the consequences.

 As soon as we could access all information through the municipal company acting as holding company, Sitges Model XXI SA, we could perceive that the confusion did not stop there. The financial audit conducted a few months ago to know in detail the state of municipal finances, their procedures and external reports, detected a budget deviation of 2.3 million Euros in the construction of this building, and a 40% surcharge on the rental agreement signed between the sponsoring company and the city for the employment of space. For these reasons and others that show the disastrous consequences of this operation, the Board of the municipal company Sitges Model XXI SA adopted at its last meeting the decision to submit the project to the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor.

 The Governing Body has kept and maintained throughout this process, an attitude of institutional loyalty and respect for justice in their proceedings. We will not use this issue in a partisan way (if this had been our intention, the process of complaint would have been different), but obviously we will be consistent with our policy of a rational and responsible use of public money.

 The most obvious contrast in comparison with the policy of irrational spending undertaken by the previous Socialist Government was made patent yesterday, with the transfer of the Citizen’s Service Office (OAC) to Carrer Nou, to a building owned by the City Hall that will allow us to save an unnecessary expense.

Tourism: the driving force of our economy

This week, Fitur, the main tourism fair of the State, opens in Madrid. A meeting point for professionals and industry players and a place that gathers businesses, operators, destinations and media specialized in the tourist industry. Sitges will be there. And Sitges will sport its own profile covered by the new Costa de Barcelona trademark, a brand that gathers all tourist destinations near the capital.

The municipal government of Sitges is committed to strengthen its profile and touristic offer, everything included within a framework of quality. From the Municipal Government of Sitges and its Tourist Agency, we have enabled lines of work aimed at strengthening our brand; attract new markets, promoting the position as organizers of conferences and conventions. We also want to take full advantage of the media coverage of the many events organized in our town, like the Film Festival, Carnival and Corpus, among many others.

Tourism is and must remain the driving force of Sitges. For this reason, we must ensure that its development is harmonious, but at the same time equipped with the necessary resources that contribute to their full implementation. In this line, and working together with the Industry, we are exploring all the possibilities that could be beneficial to the municipality. Among the many existing possibilities are the condition of Sitges as cultural capital, the promotion of our festivals and development of senior tourism, strengthening of retail trade or the possibility of turning the port of Vilanova into a cruise destination, a fact that will benefit us directly. The last option is the goal of a project that we have initiated together with the City Hall of Vilanova, and that will be completed by the NodeGarraf Development Agency.

The recent approval of the Costa de Barcelona trademark, in which we are integrated, is destined to become a new driving force for the promotion and development of tourism in our town. Internationally, at fairs and among tourist operator,  the name "Barcelona" is endowed with a special power that will contribute to the promotion and positioning of Sitges. We want to appear under this umbrella. We are already under its cover and, dare I say, Sitges has important prominence which is the result of many years of work, efforts and strategies that have made our town into a first category destination, but we must gain strenght to adapt to changing times.

For this reason, it is essential that the overnight rate, currently under preparation by the Autonomous Government of Catalonia, should have a direct bearing on the finances of tourist municipalities. Sitges, like other towns that attract a large number of visitors, takes care of a package of public services expenditures that must be partially assumed by the users, in this case, the visitors.

L'AGNÈS DE SITGES IS NOW CLOSER. Last week we announced that the Generalitat de Catalunya (Autonomous Government of Catalonia) has agreed to allocate an initial sum of 600,000 Euros for the construction of the school Agnes de Sitges in the budget for 2012, expected to be approved in the coming weeks. With this initial investment, construction could begin this year. We find ourselves at the beginning of the end of the prefabricated modules that have occupied this school during the last seven years. Today, Monday 16 January, I am happy to celebrate this news, an issue that we have dealt directly with the Education Department of the Catalonian Autonomous Government. The same day that we celebrate the 36th anniversary of the school Miquel Utrillo, a major step forward in education during the first years of democracy in Sitges.

Tax Containment

We have just started 2012, and in Sitges, just like in the rest of the country and much of the Western world, the prospects show a difficult year that will require new sacrifices. The situation is critical; therefore, we require measures that are often unpleasant, but necessary nonetheless. However, the municipal government is fully aware of the difficult situation of many families in Sitges that is why we chose to apply a moderate and contained tax policy, right in the middle way of other similar municipalities. In this regard, I will take advantage of my first blog post in 2012 to make different notes and reflections on some of the recent measures.

Property Tax (IBI). Despite the fragile situation of municipal finances, the governing body has rejected the possibility of increasing property tax that would alleviate the debt burden. We understand that doing otherwise would not have been an appropriate measure in the current situation, since it would have hurt even more the pockets of many families.

The only increase in property tax in 2012 was the one corresponding to the CPI adjustment. In this regard, I want to answer some incorrect information and stress that Property Tax (IBI) does not include garbage collection fee: by no means a tax can be charged on another tax. The public should know that the City Hall covers an important part of the garbage collection fee, to avoid citizens from taking the full burden of such a tax.

Moreover, with the aim of fostering civic responsibility, the City Council is preparing a package of subsidies to encourage recycling among citizens. Such subsidies will be announced during the coming weeks. Nurseries. I am fully aware that the situation in such centers is complicated. The wage reductions of workers due to the irregular and irresponsible management of the former government does not foster an ideal working environment, but I want to recognize the professionalism of this team, that despite the sacrifices they have had to make, still maintain their spirit of service.

We were forced to increase fees in those centers because the previous government did not apply the CPI adjustment hike. That is, the fact that fees of nurseries was frozen during recent years, when the dire conditions of our local economy did not advise it, has disguised our update as an increase. However, it should be emphasized that the current prices of municipal nurseries are fully in tune with the rest of the region, and users from Sitges do not pay more than they should. In addition, the City Council of Sitges is ensuring that the13 and 14 educators from our nurseries will remain in the staff, although the ratios of the Catalonian Autonomous Government stipulate 10 workers according to classrooms and children.

EL RUSC. The decision to close the El Rusc Open Centre was motivated by a double cause: first, the authorized undertaking announced the cessation of services, and secondly, the gradual decline of users placed this center at absolutely untenable levels. When the number of users is so low, as was the case of El Rusc, it is difficult to maintain an investment that proved too much for municipal finances. It should be noted here that the services rendered by El Rusc, although not in identical form, can be provided by the toy libraries of Esteve Barrachina and Miquel Utrillo.

In every case, we are dealing here with measures that have a common link: the need to rationalize investments and expenses, and the reduction of the very large debt that burdens our municipal finances. The government of The New Majority, despite atrocious legacy left by the former government, will never abandon its duties and responsibilities. The New Majority will continue their hard work to find the right balance between the gradual recoveries of municipal accounts, while maintaining the necessary services to all the citizens of Sitges.