Granadilla de Abona Approves Emergency Cemetery Expansion Amid Budget Shift

Granadilla de Abona is facing an urgent situation at its local cemetery, where a lack of space has forced the municipal government to shift its budget priorities. During a recent extraordinary plenary session, officials approved the immediate construction of 40 new burial niches to ensure space remains available in the short term.

This emergency project will cost 50,000 euros and is intended to bridge the gap while the council prepares for a larger, long-term expansion. That major project, which will eventually add over 200 spaces, is expected to take at least six months to tender and award.

To fund these new niches, the City Council is reallocating money previously set aside for the renovation of the Chimiche civic center. Marcos Antonio Rodríguez, the Councilor for Public Works, clarified that the Chimiche project is not being cancelled. Instead, the work will be handed over to the public company Sermugran to be completed. According to the department, the paperwork for the Chimiche facility was officially started on September 18.

The decision has sparked debate among opposition members. Independent councilor Bianca Cerbán questioned the move, asking for assurances that the Chimiche project will still be completed on time and arguing that one public need should not come at the expense of another. Meanwhile, Socialist spokesperson Jennifer Miranda criticized the local government’s lack of foresight. She noted that the cemetery is nearly full—with only about 30 spaces left—and argued that officials should have addressed this issue much sooner.

This situation highlights the challenges of managing infrastructure in a growing municipality, where the need for essential services like cemeteries often clashes with the slow pace of administrative planning.