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Prioritize spending on social programs, decentralization, tax credits and debt repayment

The cut in funds provided by the state determines the next year's municipal accounts

The bills amounted to 543.6 million euros, almost similar to those of 2009

The City paid 440 euros per inhabitant, while expenditure will amount to 783 euros

The City Council will receive next year 17 million euros less than the state, a cut that largely determines planned municipal accounts for 2010 and that require a greater intensity of effort in sustaining social policies, decentralization, the expansion of tax credits and debt repayment.

The project budget amounts to 543.6 million euros, including autonomous agencies and municipal companies, ie 1.5% more than in the current year.

In a context of severe economic crisis like the present, the draft budget which was presented this morning by the Mayor, Miguel Ángel Cámara, accompanied by the head of the Treasury, Joaquín Moya-Angeles, has been developed for the purpose to allow the city and, above all, its citizens, support the best possible future months and that their domestic economies to suffer as little as possible.

To do this, the budgets submitted for approval are "realistic, balanced, conditioned by the crisis and designed to ensure the provision of services to citizens."

The greatest difficulty lies in the reduction of funding that municipalities suffer from the Spanish National Government.

This decrease is in the 24%-the largest in democracy-which means that the government "seems right that cities, small businesses and citizens can face 2010 with a quarter less than the income received , which were meager. "

State transfers to Murcia will be reduced by 17 million euros compared to those received this year.

Since 2008, state funding cuts in the municipality is 20%.

On the other hand, another important factor that determines the municipal accounts is the decline in equity derivatives that enter the Hall of economic activity, which leads to lower activity in the city and therefore less municipal revenue.

The estimate is that the fall of Goodwill and the ICIO will be within 37%.

Compared to 2008, we see a 25% drop in revenue.

The answer to these times of severe economic and financial difficulties will be greater austerity and rigor in spending, prioritizing spending on social policies.

Of every 100 euros of spending, 68 have social destiny.

Also maintain the momentum for decentralization and the effort to sustain the tax relief to social groups (large families, disabled, unemployed and pensioners) that, far from decreasing, is expanding, both in its economic size and the number of beneficiaries potential.

In this way, Murcia can save 19 million euros in taxes that the City fails to enter in bonuses and tax exemptions.

These measures, which have applied since 2003, ranging in 2010 to persons enrolled in the Program Temporary Unemployment Protection and Integration eligible for a special bonus in the IBI.

With all this, the City will also dedicate a significant effort to reduce debt in 2010 as 33.3 million will be amortized.

With these figures, the City would be able to double its debt, which currently stands at 54.9%, compared with 110% legal limit.

Moreover, per capita debt in the city is at 483.33 euros, compared with 8,407 in the Central Administration.

This means that each Murcia would fall in payment of the debt of the state 17 times more than what would correspond to the debt of the City Council.

Current expenditures are those that address the services the city needs every day, are reduced almost 6% thanks to greater austerity in government contracts and internal operating expenses of the City, without affecting the quality of services received by citizens.

Respect to the other chapter that weight has on expenditure, the Personnel, is also contained in 2010.

Freezing the salaries of public office and applies a 0.3% wage increase for municipal workers.

Planned investments for 2010 amounted to 88.6 million euros, growing by 18% -.

The construction of the Coastal North and South and the implementation of the tram, along with the state fund management for sustainability constitute the cornerstones of investment next year.

Source: Ayuntamiento de Murcia