The liquidation of revenues was 27.2 million, 61% above the initial forecasts, thanks to the collection of taxes.
The La Massana common council approved yesterday, with the majority voting in favor and the abstention of the minority, the liquidation of the 2023 budget. The result of the year was positive, with a surplus of just over nine million. However, the figure is down to six million if three million corresponding to credits paid in the year 2024 are deducted.
The liquidation of revenues amounted to 27.2 million euros, 61% above the initial forecasts. For the construction tax alone, the community collected 2.5 million euros last year, while just under 600,000 euros were budgeted. For the tax on property transfers (ITP), which is levied on the purchase and sale of real estate, the common good received 2.2 million euros. The increase with respect to the initial forecast — 1.6 million — is 38%. How can this difference be explained? According to the major councilor, Eva Sansa, the budget is always elaborated with criteria of prudence and, therefore, the estimates are usually on the low side.
Regarding expenses -not including the credits paid on the generation of 2024-, they amounted to 18 million euros. Of this amount, 7.6 million euros correspond to real investments. The most outstanding projects that the community promoted last year were improvements to the water network, the remodeling of various public spaces — for example, the Santa Caterina park and the Costes de Teixidó street — and the creation of parking lots, such as Terra Borda, in Arinsal.
The debt, including that of the participated company EMAP, in charge of the management of the ski area of Pal Arinsal, reaches some nine million, that is to say, about 40% of the average income of the last three years. Therefore, far from the maximum allowed by the Law of communal finances, of 200%. For his part, the councilor of Finances, Agustí Garcia, affirmed that the commons will be able to reduce the indebtedness in the short and medium term because the good state of the treasury allows to invest without having to contract credits. The corporation’s cash balance stands at 20.2 million euros.
On the other hand, at the council session it was also unanimously approved to provide the common with an item of 20,000 euros to finance a line of school transport for the children of the French school. The councilor of Education, Bet Rossell, recalled that the service has been carried out until now with the resources of the parish bus. Since it is free, however, the number of users has multiplied by four. To help decongest it, the children of the French school will now have a specific bus. Rossell added that the common has been providing school transport for French schoolchildren for three years now.
In the council, moreover, the new communal auditor, Cristina Patiño, was sworn in, as well as the quartermasters.
