The Official Gazette of the Province (BOP) announced the approval of the second subsidy package for infrastructure and municipal assistance under Plan + Cerca, totaling 40.5 million euros for this year. This marks an alternative project to the Municipal Cooperation Fund, a Generalitat initiative started by the Alicante Provincial Council and still in effect, led by the current Consell president, Carlos Mazón. Last year, funding for this project stood at 30 million dollars, reflecting a 10 million increase in twelve months, a rise of 35 percent.
Alicante Provincial Council accelerates work on a draft budget before year-end
Recently, the final round of aid for 2023 was unanimously approved at the Provincial Assembly. Plan + Nearby allocated more than ten million to municipalities in the state. Consequently, the provincial institution completes the program, which has answered more than 300 requests from municipalities in the province for current expenditures and investments, totaling 40.5 million. Provincial Council president Toni Pérez commented that this plan holds particular importance for smaller communities with fewer resources, as it helps cover the costs of maintaining public services and facilities and stimulates new infrastructure and investments.
Parallel to the expansion of Plan + Cerca by the provincial institution, the current Consell, chaired by Mazón, is advancing the creation of a new Cooperation Fund. Its main innovations include agreements with councils and volunteers. The People’s Party argues that this Generalitat project, intended to replace the Botànic-supported plan, is being prepared in collaboration with three Valencian Community deputies, all aligned with the Popular Party, and will focus on smaller municipalities in line with Toni Pérez’s vision for the Alicante plan.
A presentation overview
The debate about the Cooperation Fund resurfaced a few weeks ago. The Valencian Courts saw PSPV-PSOE urging the Alicante Provincial Council to allocate nearly one hundred million to province municipalities after seven years without implementing the fund. PP representatives maintain that changes to the investment plan should proceed in partnership with the councils, rather than as before. This was their rationale for opposing the Alicante institution’s stance.
The second aid package of Plan + Cerca, recently approved by the Provincial Assembly, includes 85 requests totaling 9.5 million for projects in around one hundred municipalities. These actions cover improvements to sports facilities, road paving, public lighting upgrades, cemetery niches, playground reorganization, and the creation of municipal areas. The remainder of Plan + Cerca, exceeding 30 million dollars, was approved at the first ordinary general meeting of the new mandate last September.
Distribution criteria
Antonio Bernabeu, the member of parliament responsible for infrastructure, highlighted the distribution criteria of Plan + Cerca due to its impact on smaller towns. He noted that municipal councils and Provincial Council technical services strive to start projects as soon as possible. In addition to infrastructure, municipalities in the province sought subsidies of 10 million to cover their current expenses.
The unanimous approval of Plan + Cerca does not end the lively discussion in the Provincial Assembly between the government team and opposition groups regarding this project and Planifica, another flagship initiative of the institution. Politically, the debate centers on execution timelines. Recently, Compromís protested at the gates of the State House over the low level of progress and subsequently submitted a motion to the general assembly seeking financial support for the improvement of the investment project. This move gained support from PSPV-PSOE and Vox.