PSOE Launches Digital Portal to Challenge Santa Cruz Waste Tax Ahead of Court Ruling

The PSOE in Santa Cruz de Tenerife has launched a new digital platform to help residents challenge the city’s waste collection tax. The party aims to ensure that if the courts rule the current municipal regulation invalid on November 19, taxpayers will be in a position to request a refund.

The portal, reclamatasadebasura.es, allows citizens to file an appeal for reconsideration without needing a lawyer. The process can be completed online or in person. Patricia Hernández, the group’s spokesperson, emphasized that filing an appeal does not exempt residents from paying the tax, as local regulations do not automatically suspend collection during a dispute. Consequently, residents must pay the bill first to prevent the assessment from becoming final, while simultaneously filing an appeal to keep their claim alive.

Timing is a major concern. Because the City Council began sending official notifications on September 20, residents have only one month from the date they received their individual notice to file an appeal. The opposition has criticized this timeline, suggesting the city is rushing to collect revenue before the court’s upcoming ruling.

The PSOE’s legal challenge centers on the structure of the tax itself. The party argues that the current system is unfair, as it fails to account for household size and places an unequal burden on families with different financial situations. They have also raised concerns over the 95% tax discount granted to religious properties and questioned the relationship between the service costs and the recycling targets set for the contractor, Valoriza.

The socialists are advising all residents to file an appeal within the legal deadline, even if they have already paid the tax. The party also plans to advocate for those who may have missed the deadline due to confusing early communications from the city. As the court case proceeds, the waste collection tax has become a central point of political conflict, raising questions about the legal standing of the city's ordinance.