The governing coalition in Motril has suffered a defeat at the last Plenary Council Meeting after it tried to have its 2017 Budget approved – it was rejected by both ends of the electoral spectrum.

The sticking point was over personnel costs because the PSOE-PA coalition had included a 300,000-euro increase in that area. This extra money was to fund 43 new, department heads, as well as 23 positions for extra policemen and firemen.

The conservatives rejected the budget because they considered that the town did not need more firemen and policemen owing to the drop in population – Torrenueva and Carchuna are now semi independent. They also consider the department heads to be an unnecessary expense.

The leftist, IU rejected the need for 43 new department heads because they considered them as just ‘reward posts for political buddies.’ If these posts were to be occupied by public functionaries, rather than arbitrarily appointed to people of political affinity, that would be a different matter, they explained.

The Mayor explained that the new department heads were needed owing to the overhaul of the administrative structure of the town hall.

She also explained that this set back puts at risk a 12m-euro handout from the EU, which they will only receive if they have the 2017 Budget approved and in place by the 31st of December.

(News: Motril, Costa Tropical, Granada, Andalucia)