The Salobreña Town Council has approved an increase in the IBI (property tax) From 0.4% to 1.0%, which, according to the IU (left wing) party, makes the total increase so far 50%.

The Spokesman for Izquierda Unida, Ángel Coello, says that the Vice Mayor/Councillor for the Economy, Mari Carmen Rodríguez, has attempted to justify this large hike by promising an employment plan in the next year’s budget, but without specifying exactly how much will be set aside for this. “It could be just one euro,” he ventured.

Sr. Coello suggests that the extra income could have been earmarked for reducing the deficit, rather than just increasing funds available. He points out that Salobreñá spends 400,000 euros each year on salaries (including his own, he might have added).

This is the second increment in the IBI tax on properties, which now means that a house owner has to pay one percent of the value of the property, according to the value set on the registro de catastro. This value is independent of how much it actually was purchased for and unrelated to the actual market price.

Of the twelve million that the town paid over to eliminate outstanding debts to traders and suppliers, five million of it went to the rubbish-collection company that processes cardboard, glass and plastic, “something that Resure does for free for other towns in the province,” complained Sr. Coello.

“The Mayor, whilst in the opposition, protested against tax increases, etc, but he seems to have forgotten this once he entered the Mayor’s office,” said Sr. Coello with irony.

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