Sitges Town Council has provisionally approved its 2023 budget, freezing five local taxes, as well as public rates and prices, including encouraging the use of renewable energies. The approval of the new LGTBI Local Plan 2022-2026 was also approved.
The aim of the local government is to not increase local taxes in the face of a possible scenario of inflation and a slowdown in the country’s economic growth. The Sitges Mayor, Aurora Carbonell, emphasised that ‘the new budget will be affected by the economic and social situation, and will affect the next government’. Local elections in Spain will be held on 28 May 2023.
In the case of the IBI tax, the budget proposes to continue with the general rate at 0.49%, frozen since 2021, as well as leaving the differentiated rate for Leisure and Hospitality at 0.72%. The IBI also maintains the bonuses for large families with low incomes.
During the plenary session, the public price of the new language conversation workshop, given by the Adult Training Centre, was also modified, and final approval of the update of the water price (0.56 cents/ month) and sewage (0.34 cents/month) was agreed.
The proposed budget was provisionally approved with votes in favour from the Esquerra Republicana (ERC) party, Partit Socialistes de Catalunya (PSC), Sitges Independent Group (SGI), Guanyem Sitges (GS) and Margaló (EM), and the votes against were from Junts per Sitges (JxS), Comuns Verds Sitges (CVS) and non-affiliated councillors Manu Rodríguez, José Tendero, Maria Lores and Ignasi Rubí.
Approval of the LGTBIQ+ Local Plan 2022-2026
The plenary session also unanimously gave the green light to the Sitges LGTBIQ+ Local Plan, which serves to draw up a reference framework for the development of public policies for sexual and gender diversity in Sitges. The local councillor for social rights, citizenship and equality, Júlia Vigó, said ‘it was essential to transform the plan into a roadmap’.
Local entities, such as Sitges Voluntaris Socials or Colors Sitges Link, among others, have participated in the elaboration of the plan which includes seven key points: commitment to sexual and gender diversity; actions against LGTBIphobia; co-education and transmission of a culture equality; health, sexual and reproductive rights; employment and labour rights; culture and sports, and public space, mobility and participation of LGBTIQ+ people.
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