The City Hall obtained the first positive economic results

Past week, we had the pleasure of reporting the first positive economic results in the City Hall’s finances. For the first time in almost two years, when we constituted the new Government of Sitges, we were able to issue moderately positive financial reports concerning the economic condition of the City Hall: we extinguished the inherited deficit of 22 millions, we achieved net savings up to 4 million Euros during the previous accounting period and the City Hall’s global debt was reduced by 17 million Euros.

Are we supposed to be happy because of such figures? No way. The financial situation of the City Hall is still a real mess and requires correcting measures. But the figures are also good news, because we went from the horrendous financial mess inherited from the previous coalition to a financial situation in the process of recovery. The recovery is slow, but is taking speed progressively.

In July 2011, the City Hall’s financial situation was in dire straits. The situation was frankly appalling. During years, the previous government overspent wildly over their financial possibilities, and their economical and budgetary policy was totally insane. One of our main goals when we won elections was to correct the financial mess and remove the overspending trend. If we had acted otherwise, the City Hall would be entirely broke by now.

Two years ago, any supplier having deals with the City Hall had to wait 24 months to collect their invoices. Currently, just 4 months. Can you imagine what such a long term involved to any supplier selling products or services to the City Hall? Can you imagine suppliers waiting 24 months for their money in a period in which financial institutions did not grant any credit?

Two years ago, there were suppliers that avoided working for the City Hall. Such fact affected current services such as the gas of Local Police or the paint for traffic signals. Such a thing does not happen anymore.

The financial and economical state of the City Hall is still in bad shape, but shows a positive evolution. The measures to reduce and control investments and the imposition of a stricter budgetary control, allowed the City Hall to crawl out from under a failed legacy and look into the future with confidence. This is the only way possible to develop a Sitges for the people.

Along these lines, the commitment obtained from people was a determining factor. The suppliers reduced their budgets, social organizations grasped the rare economical environment affecting us all, and City Hall workers adapted themselves to the new situation. Such a collective effort, to which we must add some unpleasant measures, such as the increase of specific rates and fees, is yielding good results.

And such good results benefit not only municipal finances, but also the whole municipality. For this reason, we felt optimistic enough to announce measures to reduce tax burden on the budget and taxes in 2014. Next year, we will reduce the garbage fee in half and gains tax by 45%.  And in the coming months, we will determine a reduction in property tax (IBI). Meanwhile, social and support policies directed at people and economic development will have more resources and capabilities.

Expenditure control continues to be a central policy of the municipal government. This responsible manner of using public money will allow us to maintain confidence in our future.

Museums of Sitges: respect for our legacy, projection into the future

The works at Cau Ferrat are entering in their final stretch. The works on the structural reform of the building are practically over and technicians and workers are currently working on the interior restoration: stained glass, tiles, flooring, ceramics, wall paintings, etc. All are vital aspects if we want Cau Ferrat to recover the spirit of 1933 - when it was opened, and to become again the temple of modernism devised by Santiago Rusiñol.

For the Government of Sitges, the preservation and protection of the architectural and historical structure has been and is a priority. For this reason, one of the first decisions we made when we won elections was to stop the project designed by the previous government, which involved the internal and external destruction of the building. The horrendous walkway that altered the waterfront, the construction of an oversized platform to hide heating ducts, the lack of a suitable solution for the preservation of the stained glass windows ... the project was lacking in many ways and what was worse, the project smashed the aesthetic harmony of one of the most emblematic sites in town.

We stopped the erroneous project without a wink, redirecting it toward more aesthetic solutions, and at the same time harmonious with the past and the conservation of our legacy. The large majority of residents of Sitges shared the same opinion: more respect for our legacy and a less disruptive construction. It was a public outcry that we fully assumed and that we are committed to apply, not only in museums, but in the whole town at large.

The Cau Ferrat will open during the current year of 2013 if all goes according to plans. Maricel de Mar will open next year. In a few months, once the interior restoration is over, museum professionals will begin another task of vital importance: the placement of works and the introduction of a new museum approach, integrating all the arts (architecture, literature and music) in the Cau Ferrat. A visit to the Cau Ferrat will be an artistic experience, but also aesthetic and intellectual, an approach to Modernism movement that opened the cultural transformation of Catalonia in the late nineteenth century and placed Sitges on cultural map.

This will be possible thanks to the museum project led by the Director of the Heritage Consortium of Sitges, Vinyet Panyella, which has already brought a new dimension and projection to the museums of Sitges (a solid program of permanent activities, an enhanced institutional dimension and a professional approach to museums), in accordance with the role and profile they deserve. 

The Cau Ferrat you will see this year will maintain the standards of respect to our legacy deserved by buildings having such a uniqueness. Museu Maricel, in the same reform project, and also Can Rocamora, will enjoy the same level-headed reform policy. Sitges will have fully restored museums that will exhibit their architectural legacy and their art collections, everything sheltered by sound edge facilities and showing off a cutting edge approach.

The Hospital

Following the events surrounding Hospital Sant Joan Baptista of Sitges, I will reproduce the announcement that I made today acting as Mayor of Sitges and President of the Hospital.

The Hospital San Joan Baptista of Sitges begins a new era. The resignation of part of the Municipal Supervisors during the Municipal House held on Monday March 25 and the Tuesday celebration on the Board of Trustees, that reaffirmed the cessation of the current manager and a Municipal Supervisor, represents the beginning of a new period in one of the institutions more appreciated by the people of Sitges.

As Mayor of Sitges and President of the Private Foundation of Hospital Sant Joan Baptista, it's my duty to report the events that led the City Hall to forgo the renovation of supervisors and the non-supervisory secretary that ended their term on 30 March, and that brought about the rest of resignations.

With the start of this term in June 2011 and, after the resignation of former manager, Roland Sierra, for personal reasons, the City Hall of Sitges and the Parish, as institutional representatives, started to work to find out all the details about the operation of Hospital Sant Joan in all its aspects, focusing specially inherited property and senior care. Things have not been easy in this respect. During the past year relations have been marked by a climate of distrust and lack of agreement, including disloyalty towards institutional supervisors, that along with me are positions held by councilors Vinyet Lluis, Marc Martinez and the rector of the Parish, Father Josep Pausas.

We found that the way of doing things was not of our liking, since they showed lack of transparency when accessing accounts, apart from the fact that we found asset sales to family members of board representatives. We will not question if such transactions were made illegally, but I honestly think, and have said so publicly, that occupying a position on the board of the foundation is not compatible with the sale of an asset to a family member.

During the last year we also learned that the Department of Justice of the Generalitat de Catalunya required the Hospital de Sant Joan to furnish information about asset sales between 2009 and 2011, on which no authorization was requested to the supervising body in charge of ensuring the responsible management of inherited assets.

The breaking point that stressed the lack of loyalty of Municipal Supervisors towards the City Hall and the Parish Council came late last year, when they had to renew part of the articles of association to suit the new legislation. Without consulting the City Council, Municipal Supervisors proposed an amendment that left the Municipal House without power of decision on the renewal of its members, or the suppression of the vice-presidency or the vote of the Rector of the Parish, among others. We must remember that the Hospital is a property of the City of Sitges, and if there is any institution that represents the town that is the Municipal House. I could not allow the Hospital de Sant Joan to become a foundation without any type of control by the democratic representatives of Sitges.

As the highest democratic authority of the Government of Sitges, we can't allow any lack of transparency in an institution like the Hospital, an organization with centuries of history. We adopted this decision as guardians of the institution as soon as we detected gross

irregularities. Citizens are entitled to know how and what is done with all the inherited assets that belong to all of us.

Just during the board meeting of Tuesday I promoted the approval of an audit of all procedures both in equity and welfare. The lack of transparency is over. Clarity and transparency.

We went through an institutional crisis that affected the dynamics of the board. Now, the Foundation of the Hospital de Sant Joan will begin a new era that will witness the selection of a new administrator, a position occupied by Antoni Baqués until past Tuesday, apart from the renovation of Municipal Supervisors. As an answer to the aforementioned situation, I want to deliver a message of serenity, since the incident does not affect the daily life of the hospital, senior home and senior care will continue their normal operation, with existing managements and professional team.

Until the appointment of the new administration I myself as Mayor of Sitges and President of the Hospital will assume all the administrative functions of the institution.

The vitality of Sitges: three new festivals in three weeks

Is there is any other town in Catalonia capable of releasing three new festivals in just three weeks? Probably not, not even Barcelona is capable of such a feat, and we are dealing here with a city having the reputation of attracting world class events. Sitges will add three new festivals to their calendar: Creative Connections, Festival Catalunya - Amèrica and Jazz Antic Sitges. And the three will be released today, Friday 15 March and next 5 April.
Vitality, our seduction capacity and the opportunities generated by Sitges are our best allies, and the tools that we can exhibit to insure greater assurance and confidence. Just today, our town will host another festival that receives the unanimous approval, thanks to the good results generated and its high economic impact: the International Festival of Patchwork. For four days, participants at the festival, practically from every European country, will contribute actively to create movement and dynamism and, for this reason, the City Council is totally committed to insure its survival in Sitges.

Also, about one hundred Irish artists and cultural agents will arrive today to participate in the first edition of the Creative Connections Festival. It is an initiative of the Irish Council of Arts with the active involvement of several institutions and organizations from Sitges. They have created an interesting, varied and interactive program of events, including concerts, poetry reading, debates, exhibitions, audiovisual shows and cultural routes, among other proposals. Creative Connections allows artists to exchange ideas and experiences and show them to the public. And Sitges, as a cultural flagship, is the setting and the lab for such an attractive meeting.

Next Sunday we will close the first edition of the Catalan-Irish festival, but five days later we will inaugurate another first edition, this time the Catalan-American meeting. The Festival Catalunya - Amèricas, promoted by Joventuts Musicals, also supported by different organizations including the City Council, includes music, literature and art during Easter Week. The festival is thus a quality offer for visitors who come to Sitges during the Passover, and at the same time, it allows to preserve a part of our collective legacy: the journey of many of our ancestors to the Americas in search of opportunities.

Just after Easter, we will greet a new festival: the Jazz Antic Sitges Festival, a classic jazz festival promoted by the Department of Culture, led by Mireia Rossell and the valuable contribution of experts and music professionals. The JAS represents a continuation of vintage jazz festivals, which during the early 70’s transformed our town in an international jazz center. The three days of this new cultural event will publicize our relationship with the world of jazz, and will constitute a proud showcase for our musicians to our visitors at the same times that it will strengthen our cultural programming.

Sitges is alive and kicking, its seduction capacity and charm are intact. I am fully aware of the statement above, that's why it's a priority to promote, collaborate and work in tandem with all positive initiatives such as festivals.

Tax cuts

The City Hall of Sitges will cut the garbage fees by 50% during the fiscal year of 2014. This current year the fee is at 140 Euros, next year the fee will be at 70 Euros. Cuts will also include capital gains taxes that will go down by 45% in 2014. Our compromise is firm and there's no going back. We made it public this week, a sign that shows our commitment and trust in the results obtained thanks to hard work.

And why? The reasons are also clear. When we assumed power 20 months ago, the city's finances were in a sorry state. The previous years of bad management left the City Hall in a state of anomie, totally incapable of launching new projects, carry out investments or maintain the same tax levels. Therefore, we were forced to raise property tax (IBI) and allocate part of the revenue to cover the disproportionate deficit that we inherited.

It is necessary to explain that the current municipal government inherited a financial mess, but it is also true that such inheritance cannot be used as a permanent excuse. Therefore, the results of these first two years of government will allow us to reduce our financial pressure and cut our tax burden.

The decision is the result of the rigorous budgetary and financial management implemented by our government. The work carried out by Councilor for Finance, Jordi Mas, is absolutely meticulous, rigorous and effective. All government departments have implemented the aforementioned management model.  A demonstration that good work leads to good results. Such results will allow us to cut garbage collection fees by half this year, very good news for all residents of Sitges. Along the same lines, we will also cut Property Tax (IBI), and we will do it after discussing the budget for 2014. Working together with organizations and civil society should allow us to agree measures to ensure a reduction of this tax.

A growth policy for Sitges is possible only if we are able to arrange and initiate the stabilization of municipal finances. We're on the right track!

We will have a University!

Yesterday, I had the pleasure and satisfaction of signing an agreement with Mark Lethem, the President of the Higher Studies Centre for the Performing Arts. We are dealing here with excellent news, which on the one hand, act as support for our world presence and the possibilities of our town, despite the growing financial difficulties, and on the other, help to consolidate a project in which the City Government has been working hard and with the necessary discretion.

The arrival of the Higher Studies Centre for the Performing Arts is the result of a firm and strategic commitment to provide the town with a Higher Learning Centre. The school will be installed in the Sitges Design Centre and will provide university studies covering performance, dance, musical theater, pop music, scenery, creation and management of art companies and film production. The Norwich University of the Arts will certify studies.

It is the first center of its kind to open in continental Europe, that is, outside the UK, the country of origin of the school. In a few months, the classes corresponding to the year 2013-14 will commence, and the first students will arrive.

With the establishment of this center, Sitges recuperates its status as college town. This is not the first time that Sitges hosts college studies, but this is a project conceived for medium and long term. In the mid nineties, Sitges hosted a Hotel School, until it merged with the CETT, which forced the school to leave the town. Sitges also hosted a Summer College in the eighties, with the help of Universidad Menéndez y Pelayo, and during the late nineties, the town also hosted film studies performed in conjunction with ESCAC.

Many municipalities are eager to earn the title of "College Town". It is a condition that brings prestige. We are obviously pleased for the fact that the new university will contribute to strengthen the institutional prestige of Sitges. 

However, the main yearning that led us to work to attract this initiative was socioeconomic and cultural. The opening of this university will boost private investments and initiatives capable of generating economic movement, and will also create new opportunities for large segments of the population and reinforce the role of Sitges as a cultural platform.

This is excellent news, which confirms that work can pay off if done with diligence and proper forms. This project was the result of a task that we started just at the beginning of our government in 2011. And during all this time, we did not want to announce or publicize all the negotiations and business rounds, because we hate to announce a pie in the sky. It was not the moment to announce anything that was decided yet, a common procedure of the previous municipal government that never closed any agreement with the investors they contacted. Our line of work was just the opposite: to work discretely and with accuracy and make announcements only when agreements are closed.

Today, we can be satisfied with the signature of the agreement with the Institute of the Arts Barcelona, all the work done will guarantee that Sitges will have an International University specialized in Performing Arts.

Many visions for a Carnival for everybody

Today, Thursday Gras marks the beginning one of the most intense weeks of our calendar. The Carnival mobilizes thousands of local residents immersed in a festivity that has many faces. The parades, l'Arribo, xatonades, dances at the social clubs or acts recently introduced (or recovered), and the Race of costumed beds, make the Carnival a festivity capable of admitting many interpretations and visions.

And this is one of the main treasures of our Carnival. For some residents of Sitges, the Carnival revolves around the parades in which they have labored diligently with their groups, others spent months in anxious anticipation designing the final appearance of the Carnival King and Queen; others have been excited during the last few days for the upcoming xatonadas of Thursday Gras, and others will live the Carnival experience as mere spectators in a middle ground between complicity and pungency. The plurality of such profiles makes our Carnival a very rich festivity packed with different nuances, solid principles and with a dynamic expression. It is no accident that the website of the daily La Vanguardia placed the Carnival of Sitges among the 10 in the world.

The Carnival of 2013 is here to confirm the good measures implemented last year at parades. A year ago, many questioned the need to advance the schedule of parades. A year later, this measure has been accepted as good and necessary by the different sectors involved in the festivity: groups, social clubs, law enforcement, organization and public. Thanks to the new schedule, today our Carnival is a carnival for everyone. This was well understood by the Department of Home Affairs of the Generalitat, headed by Minister Espadaler, which has renovated a full support in the deployment of the Mossos d'Esquadra, a totally essential requirement.

However, experiences always bring results, reviews and suggestions. This year, accepting the opinion of most social clubs and groups, the parades will return to Cap de la Vila once they have made the whole journey, and such a feat will mark the end of the journey. A successful organization will make it possible and the desire of people make it advisable.

I would emphasize the role-quiet and discreet, of many people that work intensively so the Carnival of Sitges enjoys a good reputation, presence and category. The "carrossaires", gang bosses, social club commissions, Carnival Commission, security and protection, the owners and employees of businesses that offer a high quality image and service, the, sponsors ... without them none of this would be possible. 

Thank you all for placing our Carnival among the 10 best in the world. Enjoy it with respect for everyone.