Saturday, September 28, 2013

11th hour reprieve

The Bigastro government team, led by Charo Bañuls  (PP), managed to pull off its Provider Payment Plan to finance 809,000 euros of arrears due to support by the PSOE spokesman, Raul Valerio Medina. The agreement was adopted at a plenary session held 'in extremis' at 17.45, just 15 minutes before the expiry of the term to justify its approval to the Ministry of Finance.

At the regular meeting held in the morning, the socialists, along with the liberals, voted against the plan. If they had maintained that position, then the council would have effectively been crippled because the Ministry of Finance would have reduced payments to the council from 100,000 to 50,000 euros per month.  The mayor met with council employees at noon to inform them of the situation and he fact that basic services would have been cut and salaries left unpaid.

The change of heart by the socialist leader came about because of pressure placed upon him. At the second meeting three of the socialist councillors along with the two liberal councillors still voted against the proposal. With just 11 out of the 13 councillors in attendance the vote was therefore five for and five against giving the socialist leader the casting vote.

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