The 2024 budget reaches 36,260,997.24 euros, an amount that exceeds that of the previous year by nearly half a million euros. In this way, and despite the difficulties of the current economic context with threats of recession, the Pineda de Mar City Council (Maresme) guarantees itself a year of growth in public and social investment. This will allow maintaining the portfolio of municipal services, aid and bonuses, and continuing to provide the usual services normally despite the increase in essential supplies such as fuel or electricity and gas, which also affect the products and services contracted by the City hall.
The growth of the public budget is maintained despite the difficulties of the current economic context, guaranteeing budget balance. The spending planned for 2024 prioritizes improvements to urban space, municipal services and people, as well as security, housing and social well-being.
The budget has been approved with the favorable votes of the PSC, Partido Popular, the abstention of En comú Podem, and the votes against of ERC and Junts per Catalunya.
In the words of the mayor of Pineda, Xavier Amor, “the budget allows us to maintain the set challenges, giving stability to the projects already started to guarantee their execution, being as rigorous as possible with the planned schedule. “We take on new projects with responsibility and attention to the economic forecasts of the economic agents of higher administrations.”
Amor also remembers the priorities set by the municipal government, such as the improvement and updating of urban space, the guarantee of quality public services, as well as the improvement in security and progress in new sustainability frameworks for Pineda.
In relation to the income chapter, Xavier Amor thanked “the effort being made so that the municipality has its solvency guaranteed without depending on external agents.” In this sense, he highlights that it has been possible to compensate for the reduction in contributions from other administrations, as well as the reduction in credit requests: “reducing credit will allow us to be more solvent in the coming years,” he stressed.
In the expenses chapter, the budget will allocate around 40% to direct service to people, addressing needs such as housing, social welfare, education, health, youth, culture and economic development.
19% of the expenditure will be allocated to the improvement of urban space, which is reflected in waste collection, street cleaning, disposal of old furniture and the maintenance and adaptation of the municipality’s public spaces. 13% of the total will be allocated to citizen security and mobility.
The 2024 budget will allow new projects to be started such as the air conditioning of the Marinada Nursery, in addition to continuing to work on the execution of those already started such as the improvement of the air conditioning of the Poblenou CAP, the completion of the Poblenou Promenade, the improvement of the network of public lighting, the installation of new container areas, the installation of sustainable canopies or the opening of the basement car park of the M. Serra i Moret Library. Also contemplated is the installation of photovoltaic panels in municipal facilities, the improvement of urban drainage throughout the municipality and the installation of sustainable canopies.
In terms of sustainability and the 2030 agenda, the City Council proposes a new project for Plaça Estació that adapts it to the criteria set by environmental policies. It also guarantees the execution of the bike lane, a new three-kilometer sustainable mobility route that will connect the municipality from the Escola Mediterrània Mediterránea to the Train Station, passing through points of general interest such as the M. Serra y Moret Library, the Parish Church or the Can Jalpí building.
The plan for the acquisition of machinery and electric vehicles is maintained, as well as the maintenance of points to charge them, the project that will provide Can Xaubet with a biomass boiler and photovoltaic panels, smart shelters at bus stops, improvements at the point joint clean, and the comprehensive remodeling of the Social Services building with an energy efficient and architecturally sustainable project.
