For the first time, residents of Javea have been able to decide in which projects to invest part of their taxes. On Thursday evening, members of the Agenda 21 forum were able to choose from 15 proposals made by the council that could be included in the participatory budgets. The most voted investment was the construction of a bus station in the car park in Avenida Palmela.
Other projects chosen by popular vote include new changing rooms and showers for the beach areas, a skate park for young people, a "punto verde" recycling-bin area in the Flor de la Neu street in Cap Martí and an outdoor Fitness Park for older persons.
The portion of the budget available for these proposals amounts to 423.065€, which thus ruled out the next most popular choice: the construction of a roof over the small football arena in Frechinal, with a cost of 300,000€ and with insufficient funds.
Instead, it was decided to continue with the list arranged in descending number of votes so other projects could enter, such as the renewal of the play area on the Arenal beach, the construction of two paddle tennis courts in Mezquides and the covering of the tree bases in Jaume I to prevent tripping.
The councillor for Citizen Participation, Cesc Camprubi, explained that the system used to choose the projects was not the one they would have preferred, but was made necessary by the urgency needed for the proposals to be submitted to vote in the council chambers on Tuesday 22nd November, so as to allow the budget to take effect in January 2012.
Yet Camprubi, along with mayor José Chulvi and Oscar Ánton, councillor responsible for Finance, said that it was a way to show their intentions to create new mechanisms next year to encourage more citizen representation in civic projects, something necessary for increasing the participation and involvement of the public in municipal affairs. In this regard, Chulvi added that they hoped that many more ideas would come out of the proposals for social and economic revitalization of the town through the 'Strategic Plan'.
In addition to the projects chosen by popular vote, the 2012 draft budget includes other necessary investments proposed by the town's executive board, such as the completion of Avenida Augusta, for which 414.000€ has been set aside, as well as the co-financing of a permanent roundabout at the junction between Avenida del Arenal and Avenida del Pla (149,000€) and 60,000€ for improvements to drainage in Calle Niza in the Arenal, which often faces serious flood.
Some 180.000€ has been allocated to equipping the new Port library, 21.000€ for the purchase of municipal vehicles, 12.000€ for two motorbikes for the local police, 20.000€ for furniture for municipal parks and gardens, and 4.000€ for installing alarm systems in a municipal building. Also budgeted is a project to install solar panels, conditioned by the sale of municipal assets, and an obligation to pay some 1.2 million euros for the revision of prices to the company that executed the works on roads and municipal buildings.
At the public meeting in which the 2012 draft budget was presented, Oscar Anton, councillor for Finance, explained that the financial plan amounted to 38.761.928€, some 3.5% up on the previous year.
Of this, 34.9% would be allocated to personnel costs, 39.1% on services, 3.8% on interest on borrowings and 4.5% on grants to clubs and associations. About 2.75 million euros (7.1%) has been allocated to investment on projects whilst 35.000€ (0.1%) will be donated to aid to the Third World. And 4.1 million euros (10.6%) for monthly payments of existing bank loans.
Anton confirmed that the municipal debt, which was 12 million euros in 2005, had risen to 41 million euros due to investments made by previous administrations. He said that the current government team was committed to not taking out new loans and work to reduce the debt as soon as possible. Mayor José Chulvi added that he would fight for any grant or aid for projects at municipal level that are presently difficult to accomplish.
The meeting with the attendees at the forum for participation was carried out in a friendly and collaborative atmosphere and some members of the public were able to propose investments for future consideration. The Department of Citizen Participation is hopeful that after this, the public will be more inclined to get involved once they realise that their opinions are being taken into account.
