The mayor of Albacete, Manuel Serrano, presented on Thursday alongside his Government team the draft of the municipal budgets for 2025, amounting to around 254 million euros including investments and capital transfers, with a notable 13% increase in social spending compared to the previous year, reaching 23 million euros.
Serrano emphasized that these budgets are «the most social in the history of this City Council with this implementation that will go to social services, making Albacete one of the Spanish cities that allocates the most to social policies.» The mayor pointed out that the program has focused on «those who need it most» and specified that 13 out of every 100 euros of the budget have been invested in social policies.
The base budget is over 206 million euros, to which investments and capital transfers totaling 254 million are added. Serrano commented that «thanks to the good management of the economic area of the municipal government,» some tax rates have been reduced and the «unstoppable growth of Albacete» has been consolidated, citing the previous 6.6% decrease in the Capital Gains Tax that began to be applied in January of this year.
Regarding the budgets allocated to social policies, the City Council specified that the draft proposes a 32% increase in the Social Action plan, with programs such as attention to individuals, totaling 500,000 euros. 300,000 euros will go to integration projects and another 200,000 for agreements with the organization Cáritas.
Socio-sanitary associations will have over half a million euros for their activities, as well as for improving infrastructure and the inclusion of people with disabilities. Serrano assured that the policy of promoting sports will be maintained, with an additional 500,000 euros allocated to the implementation of a universal accessibility investment plan.
Four million euros will be allocated to policies to finance the employment plan that was launched last year, while other areas such as the creation and consolidation of businesses will see a 30% increase to around 130,000 euros. Scholarships for young graduates will maintain their funding of 85,000 in this new draft.
«Key sectors» for the city, as described by Serrano, such as hospitality and cutlery trade, will receive grants totaling 250,000 euros, while tourism promotion will accumulate 1.2 million, and commercial fairs will have 560,000 euros. The Avanza plan for businesses will receive 550,000 euros, while the city’s industrial zones will receive 1.5 million to renovate their infrastructure and industrial estates.
In terms of Equality and the Fight against Gender Violence, the budget for the corresponding council aimed at supporting the associative fabric will experience an increase reaching 675,000 euros, focusing on programs such as Women’s Autonomy Promotion.
EDUCATION, CULTURE AND SPORTS
The Education, Culture, and Sports block will have a budget of 44 million euros. Serrano detailed that 14 million euros will be invested in education, with four million allocated to the maintenance of nursery schools and the same amount for the maintenance of schools. 2.7 million euros will support the municipal Library Network, and one million will go towards the air conditioning of public schools. Additionally, around 500,000 euros will be invested in the School Voucher program, 105,000 euros for the purchase of books and school supplies, and 50,000 euros for language vouchers.
The cultural sector will receive a total of 15 million euros, a 13% increase from the previous year. Of these, nearly 900,000 euros will be allocated to the programming of the Albacete Fair this year, 300,000 euros to the enhancement of other popular festivities, 265,000 euros to the dynamization and promotion of cultural activities, 250,000 to the Torch Festival, and 225,000 euros to the rest of the city’s festivals. A total of 266,000 euros will be distributed in grants to cultural groups and the bullfighting school.
The sports budget will also receive 15 million euros, with a notable allocation of 1.3 million euros for the Skating City and the Reform of Juan de Toledo. One million euros will be invested in the renovation of the Carlos Belmonte Football Stadium, and another million in a pioneering project to build a covered Olympic swimming pool on Paseo de la Cuba, «which will be the first in Castilla-La Mancha,» as highlighted by the mayor, estimating a total cost between 12 and 14 million over the years of development.
The City Council will also invest 800,000 euros in organizing sports events and 400,000 in grants to clubs. Other highlighted points in the draft include a budget of 300,000 euros for sports facilities in Imaginalia and the Faculty of Medicine, as well as a project for a football field at the University Laboral, for which Serrano stated there is a preliminary agreement with the Regional Government.
In the Urban Mobility block, with a budget of 10 million (an 8% increase in funding according to the City Council data), there is an emphasis on investing six million in urban transport, over two million for the modernization of emergency services, and one and a half million for the signaling and traffic light network. Additionally, there will be a total of 70,000 euros in aid to the taxi sector and 50,000 euros for the Astra plan for transportation to rural areas.
Regarding Security and Civil Protection, there will be a total of 2.1 million euros, focusing on improving the fire department and civil protection equipment. 220,000 euros will be allocated to installing security cameras in rural areas.
The Environmental sector will receive 30 million euros, with nine million focused on the waste collection and treatment plan. Green area maintenance will receive 8 million, as well as an additional 850,000 euros for the creation of new green spaces on Angel Street and Cruz Street. The environmental water fee will have a budget of 600,000 euros, and there will be another investment of 350,000 euros for the maintenance of children’s play areas.
INVESTMENTS
The city will also have 30 million euros for investments, highlighting 9.5 million for street repairs and the asphalt plan. Two million will go towards the expansion and improvement of socio-cultural centers. The investment plan in rural areas will receive a million euros, the same amount that will be invested in improving the municipal cemetery or the logistics platform and Dry Port. The Youth Center will receive an investment of 400,000 euros for its renovation. Additionally, the City Council will allocate a budget of 170,000 euros to support the neighborhood movement.
Serrano described the budget draft as «a record in the execution levels of the Albacete City Council,» with 51 million euros invested in the last two fiscal years. «We continue to improve public services and consolidate the progress of the city,» highlighted the mayor. The deputy mayor, Alberto Reina, explained that they have drafted the budget in line with the estimated revenues from the recent fiscal years, considering «the challenge we face due to the uncertainty about what will happen with some grants as we still do not have the General State Budgets.»
Starting this Friday, opposition parties will have 20 business days to present proposals and amendments to the draft. The extraordinary session to vote on the text will take place on March 25.