One more step in the municipal machinery. José Luis Martínez-Almeida announced this Wednesday that the Madrid City Council – already with an absolute majority of the PP after the last May elections and, above all, without Ciudadanos on the arm – will approve the new Budgets before the end of the year in an extraordinary plenary session. municipal elections, the fourth in five years of Almeida in power. The extension of last year is long gone, when neither Vox nor the Mixed Group – formed at the time by three former mayors of Más Madrid – supported the accounts of PP and Ciudadanos. Now, with the deck of the popular majority, and especially without Citizens, everything fits better. And it is approved. In general terms, the 2024 accounts of the capital of Spain amount to 5,940.23 million euros, 7.2% more than those of 2022, the current ones, which closed with a deficit of 357 million, the first red numbers in 12 years.
The main projects highlighted by the City Council for next year are the burying of the A5 and the covering of the Ventas bridge. The burying of the A5 was a promise from Almeida in 2019 and was not carried out in the last term. A 2% salary increase is also announced for the municipal corporation, which had been frozen for four years. The measure also affects all public employees. The City Council foresees a growth of 2.9% of the capital’s GDP by 2024. However, sources from the Treasury area say that “dark clouds are looming with the insecurity of an unstable Government.” Moncloa foresees a growth of 2%.
Now, with the new municipal accounts, we only need to know if the five councilors of Vox will vote in favor, abstain or vote against, as will the eleven councilors of the PSOE and the twelve of Más Madrid, except as a surprise. The municipal economic machinery is always framed in the last quarter of each year. For this reason, the capital’s new tax rules were also approved 15 days ago, which will include a reduction in the Property and Real Estate Tax (IBI), which will go from the current 0.456% to 0.442% in 2024. In Barcelona, where The PSOE governs, it stands at 0.66% and in Valencia, where the PP governs, at 0.72%.
This figure contrasts with what Almeida himself announced just a year ago in the same room, when he appeared with the then vice mayor Begoña Villacís. Here he promised the people of Madrid an even greater reduction, of up to 0.426% which, however, and despite the announcement, was not approved due to the refusal of the rest of the groups. PP and Ciudadanos always needed four votes to approve any ordinance in the city. The investiture pact of PP and Ciudadanos with the support of Vox (2019-2023) wanted to reach 0.4% before 2023. It has not been possible either. Almeida believes that it is now feasible to achieve it in this mandate (2023-2027).
By areas: Vice Mayor’s Office and Emergencies, the area that is growing the most
The area headed by the vice mayor, Inmaculada Sanz, is the portfolio that increases the most, with 13.7% more than in the previous Budgets (124 million euros more). This area brings together 12,693 municipal workers, mostly firefighters and police officers. The hiring of 596 new local agents and a new contract of 51 million euros with Línea Madrid has also been announced, which brought together numerous complaints from citizens about its management last year.
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The second portfolio that will receive the most will be Urban Planning, Environment and Mobility, an area directed by Borja Carabante. It will be 1,752.49 million euros, 9.9% more than in 2022. This portfolio includes the beginning of the undergrounding of the A5, the urban developments of Valdecarrós, Ahijones, Berrocales, Cerros and Madrid Nuevo Norte. The Works area, however, is the only area that suffers a 2.6% cut. The Treasury’s explanation is that the new projects for the capital are in a primary phase and the majority will be tendered during 2024, with very few months of actual execution. The Social Policies, Family and Equality area will receive 349 million, 26 more than in the past. Culture will have 230 million, 20 more than in 2022.
By districts: Salamanca 10% more and Puente de Vallecas 0.7%
Of the 21 districts of the capital, the one that is growing the most is Retiro, with 10.7% more than in 2022, followed by Moncloa-Aravaca with 10.5% and Salamanca, with 10%. The one that grew the least is Usera, with 0.6%, followed by Puente de Vallecas with 0.7%. The City Council plans to approve the Budget in the third week of December.
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