Arona Festivals Over Budget: Opposition Slams Government Spending
Arona's Socialist party criticizes the PP, Coalición Canaria, and Vox government for overspending on festivals and events, requiring a €243,400 budget increase after a previous €400,000 top-up in July.
The Socialist party in Arona is upset that the local government, made up of PP, Coalición Canaria, and Vox, has already spent all the money set aside for festivals and events. They say the government had to change the budget to get more funds for these activities.
The Socialists are criticizing a decision made at a recent meeting where the government admitted they'd run out of money for local celebrations.
They've approved an extra €243,400 as a matter of urgency. The Socialists claim the government is using extra money from the treasury to hide their lack of planning. José Julián Mena, the PSOE spokesperson, questioned how the money could be gone so quickly after the budget was approved in June.
The Arona City Council's overall budget for 2025, approved in June, was a record €127.3 million.
Back in July, the government already added €400,000 to the budget, also for festivals and promotion. This included things like a €220,000 plan to boost the economy, €50,000 for the Fish Fair, another €50,000 for the Chestnut and Wine Night, and €80,000 for Farmer's Market events.
The PSOE questioned the first change in July, saying it didn't make sense to approve the budget and then immediately dip into the extra funds. They believe this shows the government isn't planning properly and is using these changes to cover up their mistakes.
The initial budget included €550,000 for the International Carnival of Arona, €250,000 for local Patron Saint Festivities, and €80,000 for Christmas events, among other celebrations, totaling €2,003,394.
With the addition of €400,000 in July and the recent €243,400, the total spending on these areas has reached at least €2,646,794 this year.