At its last extraordinary plenary session in November, El Poble Nou de Benitatxell Council approved the 2026 municipal budget with seven votes in favour from the Més Benitatxell governing team and three abstentions from the opposition group REDcv. At almost €10.3 million, it is the largest budget in the municipality’s history.
One of the most notable investments is the €180,000 earmarked for the refurbishment of a municipal funeral vigil next to the Oratory of Jaime Llobell as part of the agreement that is being negotiated with the Santa María Magdalena Church.
For the removal of dead pine trees, €143,000 will be allocated from the municipal budget (€45,000), a subsidy from the Diputación of Alicante and the Emerge brigade for the hiring of unemployed people to carry out actions in the forestry sector. As the mayor, Miguel Ángel García, pointed out, ‘we want to strike a strong blow in 2026’ to put an end to this problem that is of such concern to the public, especially those who live near forestry areas.
In terms of economic promotion, there will also be a quantitative and qualitative leap forward. A total of €160,000 has been allocated for various actions, such as the creation of a complementary system that promotes the circular economy and is expected to undergo a pilot test in 2026; a network of municipal help similar to consumer vouchers to encourage shopping at local businesses and revitalise the entire commercial sector and the new Municipal Market, with the creation of a merchants’ association.
A total of €284,000 will be invested in road improvements and street cleaning, including resurfacing the roads most in need, traffic calming measures, urban signalling, road painting and cleaning of roads and paths in residential areas, rural areas and urban centres.
In social matters, it is worth highlighting the total investment of €456,000, of which the Council is reserving €95,000 from its budget for the municipal Home Help Service. This amount helps to supplement the 220,000 euros from the Conselleria and the 141,000 euros from the Diputación to cover the first six months, which is the average time it takes for the Conselleria to resolve these subsidies. Because, as the Councillor of Social Services, Isa Garrido, stated, ‘when a person requests this help, it is because they really need it now and cannot wait months’. Local associations also have a significant weight in the budget, with a total of €180,600 for agreements with 30 entities from different fields.
Also noteworthy are the €80,000 set aside for the restoration and enhancement of the Abiar washhouse, which is to be refurbished so that it can be visited and admired; and the almost €100,000 for actions such as the readjustment of pavements and trees on Capelletes Street in order to prevent vehicles from having to drive onto the pavement due to lack of space, and the refurbishment of the roundabouts at the entrance to Pueblo Alcassar on the Moraira road to improve the image of the entrance to this residential area.
Meanwhile, regarding income, the Mayor, Miguel Ángel García, explained that there is ‘important groundwork’ to be done to get the most out of the municipality’s assets, such as income from the Moraig car park, increased income from the general presentation of cadastral values, and the favourable economic situation, particularly from municipal taxes in the construction sector. All this despite the recent approval of a further reduction in property tax (IBI), which will fall from 0.82% to 0.80% from 2026.
Savings have also been made. In lighting alone, significant savings of €52,364 have been achieved (compared to the period from January to October 2024), representing a 30% reduction, thanks to the conversion of all municipal lighting to LED and the improvement of the terms of the framework agreement with the Diputación de Alicante (Alicante Provincial Council) to achieve more competitive prices on the electricity bill.
The largest portion of the budget, 2 million, is allocated to municipal services provided through the municipal public company Poble Net S.L.: 31% to municipal waste management, 29% to the water cycle (water treatment and sewerage), 22% to maintenance and repairs (municipal services team) and 8% to street cleaning of municipal buildings, with the remainder allocated to the environment, forestry management and agriculture. By managing these services directly through a public company, the Council saves €860,000 in VAT exemptions and other taxes that it would have to pay if the services were outsourced.