Adeje Council Faces Political Backlash Over 26% Waste Tax Hike

The recent approval of a new waste tax in Adeje has sparked a political dispute within the local council, according to Coalición Canaria. The conflict centers on a 26% increase in the levy, which the nationalist party argues unfairly shifts the cost of cleaning services onto residents while ignoring the unique demands of a tourism-heavy municipality.

During the municipal plenary session, two opposing views on fiscal management emerged. While the governing PSOE team pushed the ordinance through, the opposition criticized its lack of fairness. Patricia León, spokesperson for the nationalists, argued that the tax structure fails to consider taxpayers' actual income or the source of the waste, suggesting that the tourism sector should contribute a larger share toward collection costs.

Coalición Canaria proposed an alternative plan, which included a 12% reduction for registered residents and subsidies covering up to 90% of costs for vulnerable households and large families. Councilor Aythami Amaro described the government’s rejection of these amendments as a missed opportunity for socially responsible policy, noting that a flat-rate increase ignores the economic reality of local families despite the area's thriving tourism industry.

This situation in Adeje reflects a wider challenge across the Canary Islands, where town councils are struggling to update waste management regulations. The controversy highlights the difficulty of balancing the financial needs of public services with the protection of household incomes in regions where the tourism industry often complicates the distribution of the tax burden.