The City Council's Plenary Session approved last week the Municipal Budget for the year 2013. The proposed budget submitted by the City Council will mark this year's municipal agenda that has a double edge: on one side, the implementation of social policies in support of people, especially groups in need, and on the other side, to maintain the challenge to narrow the deficit inherited by the Socialist – Eco Communist government, a condition that unfortunately is affecting all the institutional and governmental programs enacted by the City Hall.
The Policy designed by the Government for 2013 contains some of the actions to support individuals and families in need, who were covered by the Plan Mandate, but the economic situation prevented its implementation in 2012. The Blue Card and Soup Kitchens are the two most significant initiatives and in the coming weeks they will be a reality.
The Blue Card is a tool that will allow people with lower incomes to access certain services at no cost and with significant reductions. The type of card, which obviously will be only available to residents in Sitges, also offer discounts at local businesses, thereby also giving a concrete answer to those most in need, the card will also be a direct stimulus to promote local businesses. For its part, the soup kitchen is also part of this policy, immediate concrete actions aimed at those who suffer most from the effects of the crisis.
The budget includes works that have been necessary for years: the refurbishment of Santiago Rusiñol Popular Library, which we recently celebrated the 75th anniversary. This action is part of a new culture of defense of our architectural and artistic heritage, an action we decided to implement and that will define the Sitges to come. The active and affirmative support of the City Hall to the refurbishment of Casino Prado Suburense, reopening this 2013, Cau Ferrat (according to the criteria of the heritage conservation board) and the development of a new catalog of Architectural Heritage (which is in his due course) are part of this heritage defense policy, included the agreement of the Municipal Government: preserve rather than build.
Actions to improve public services, to strengthen urban cleaning, strengthen the Sitges Brand and collaboration with the business sector of the town ... the Municipal Budget 2013 is an open folder to answer the immediate needs of the town and plan the future with criteria, determination, austerity and efficiency.
The municipal budget shows a public expenditure of 38.5 million €, while revenues will be 41.1 million €, the difference between these two figures will be used to reduce the large deficit found when this Government took over municipal management, a year and a half in the past. In this municipal corporation, we have used all the technical and financial resources at our disposal, as well as a painful but vital increase in property tax to reduce the serious deficit that characterized the city of Sitges.
The year 2013 spells dire straits for Sitges, Catalonia and Spain. The recession is expressing itself in a more virulent way than ever and such a fact is latent in all sectors. However, the rigor that characterizes this budget suggests that, at least in the recovery of municipal finances, this year could be a turning point. Nothing will be like before, since it was necessary to implement a new culture of spending and use of public money in our City Hall. I have full confidence in this budget, both in spirit and rigor of execution. This budget must be a recovery tool for increasing confidence in the future.
Residents of Sitges, I wish that 2013 will be a year of hope.
