Adeje will spend between €88.4 million and €90.5 million this financial year. Certain investments will be readjusted to meet the new needs, local taxes for families in difficult circumstances will have flexible payments, rates for some services such as rubbish collection will be reduced and the council will make use of the 2019 budget surplus. All this is to be proposed by the local government at a special sittting of the cuincil this Tuesday, an extraordinary council meeting called to deal with Covid-19. The plan proposes máximum flexibility, the injection of €14.6 million to roll out measures and programmes to alleviate the worst affects of this pandemic on the local economy and citizens, particularly the sectors affected by zero toursim.
The money will come from two routes – the ordinary Budget allocation and the use of the 2019 surplus, which is about €10 million. The council will be using the maximum allowed by law for social emergencies - €2 million, and that which is authorsed for use in sustainable investments - €8 million - with which they hope to reactivate sectors that have suffered most, and incentivise small and médium works which will, in turn, stimulate the local economy.
“We are working with a very flexibile Budget – it simply cannot be any other way: we have to, given the necessities in costs and the reality of investments, change the way we are looking at things from now until December”, insisted the Adeje mayor, Jose Miguel Rodriguez Fraga. He, and the head of the financial department councillor, Epifanio Díaz, don’t believe, in principle, that any essential municipal services will be put in danger.
At the centre of all this is the economic sector which sustains the borough, and the islands in general, tourism, which will be a pillar of our recovery, working to aid employmemt in the business sector, improve training and employability, assist in the development of the digital transiation of the borough and the creation of an ‘intelligent destination’. Adeje will also work hand-in-hand with other adminstrations in tourism promotion. There will be an increase of 3.8% - €1.3million, in investment .
Over half of the money in the Adeje budget – 52% - will be for the upkeep of important services such as water, sewage systems, street cleaning, rubbish collection, public lighting, traffic, safety, etc. As well as these costs and other similar day to day costs that centre on care for the people of Adeje, there will be accounts established to deal with matters in five key areas: “The social emergency, programmes for emplyment and employability, help in the economic sector for small and medium enterrprises and the self-employed, work to bridge social gaps in areas such as education and help for youth groups that we cannot leave behind, and those who may be most affected by unemployment”, said the mayor.
Anti-crisis consignments
The contributions that will increase most will be those related to employment training, avoiding the destruction of jobs, training for employment and help for small and medium businesses and the self-employed, with an allocation of €3.6 million- 270% more than in 2019. We hope to create 400 jobs over the next 11 months as well as working to avoid the loss of a similar number of jobs with direct aid to businesses and the self-employed.
The department of employment and economic development will request aid for training, and in Education they will implement measures to protect all students. €1.4 million will be allocated for education programmes, 51% more than last year, for school materials (260% more) school and university tranpsort (100% more) and money for schools to initiate other activities (22% more). With this money we are working to bridge the digital gaps that exist for students with fewer resources, allocating digital cards for internet connection, and sharing other essential equipment.
Cultually the council is reinforcing activities in the centres. Local fiestas are also essential for local small businesses and if they cannot take place this year we will examine how we can invest grants into social and educative projects locally.
Another fundamental axis in the emerging situation is help in social emergencias, as the mayor as said, “we must offer someone in financial difficulties the chance to work, to find a job, so we will offer training, or other avenue to work to see that no-one is left without some assistance”.
The emergency that will come is inevitable so that is why the monies in this area have increased by 35%, including frontline social assistance and help for senior citizens. There has been such a demand on the department for social welfare that the council has doubled the number of social workers from 7 to 14 and the home-help team has three new members too. The department of health are also increasing measures for sanitary controls and safety as well as training programmes designed to stem any spread of the virus.
Health will also increase monitoring of water, cleaning and disinfection of tanks and bins, beaches, etc, and increase controls in municipal installations and animal shelters.
A green and healthy borough
Adeje is hoping to use €8 million of the budget surplus form 2019 for investment in sustainable investments in small and medium infrastructures, work to improve public spaces and projects which will serve in reactivating the economy, help avoid the closure of businesses, and the the recovery of jobs. The mayor said this was a commitment made many years ago, and in some ways “this crisis has helped accelerate the plan”, a green commitment for a healthy borough, developing new respect for the local environment, caring for natural spaces, spaces close to where we are living, with the new Central Park encouraging urban farms,working to recover what was the primary sector beforehand “This will incorporate an economic model via which we hope to introduce new concepts and a different mentality”, affirmed the mayor. This will mean money for the Central Park, with walkways, parks, small installations, new pedestrian areas etc. There is also funding for the department of works and services for the renovation of the Adeje theatre.
Digital innovations are also being explored, working to make sure that no section of the population is left behind. There will be help for programmes for young people to help them in the digital evolution, with grants made available for higher grade students who have had to leave their studies or job becuase of the crisis. Funding will also continue for all the online services currently available, in culture and education, the citizens office, sports etc.
Adeje Budget 2020: €90,5 M
Schedule of income €90,5 M
Schedule of spend: €88,4 M.
Essential Services Allocations:
Traffic and parking €1,1 M
Paving and road surfacing €2,0 M
Sewage €4,7 M
Water supply €19 M
Rubbish collection €4,6 M
Waste treatment €2,2 M
Street cleaning €4,6 M
Public lighting €1,6 M
Programmes and allocations that will increase:
Security and public order €6,8 M + 10%
Health €0,6 M + 3%
Environment, beaches, parks, etc €3,2 M + 13%
Tourism and tourism promotion €1,3 M + 3,8%
Frontline social assistance €1,9 M + 24%
Job training €3,6 M + 270%
Education €1,4 M + 17%
Complemetary educational aid 0,4 M + 262%
Culture, development and promotion €1,9 M + 0,2%
Sports development €2,2 M + 18%
Citizen attention €0,4 M + 30%
