What looked like a quiet, routine reform has tensions rising in Alicante. The municipal plan to shift tax collection from the city to Suma, the provincial body charged with administration and collection in the province, has investors and residents watching closely. At a Friday briefing, bipartisans and municipal officials gathered with Suma’s director, Jose Antonio Belso, plus Deputy Finance Minister Maria Gomez and city technicians to confirm the arrangement and outline the path forward.
A proposal to reform the municipality’s remuneration model is on the horizon. It is expected to pass the Treasury Commission next week as a preliminary step toward a general meeting vote, potentially scheduled for September 29. The aim is to modernize how resources are managed and reported within Alicante’s local government.
After the morning discussions, Barcala’s intent drew questions from both the left and from Vox, who warned there were no conclusive, independently verified benefits of the proposed change for Alicante residents. Several groups worry that the current model has proven effective, and they criticize a perceived lack of cohesion and transparency in the process. The opposition noted that they were not informed about the project until this Friday, despite reports published earlier in the month.
Barcala’s Tax-Sharing Proposal Draws Strong Reactions from Local Parties
A spokesperson for the Socialists, Trini Amorós, argued that moving tax collection to Suma would expose nearly four million residents to a new administration, raising concerns about efficiency and accountability. She suggested that the change would not necessarily deliver savings and might erode the city’s financial autonomy, which she described as critical to addressing Alicante’s needs. The Socialist position emphasized accountability and questioned whether the proposed switch benefits the city’s budget or serves broader political interests.
Amorós also praised the local council’s current team, arguing that the city’s administrative machinery has delivered reliable services with professionalism. The concern remained that the proposed shift could dilute direct oversight by residents and local representatives who are accountable to them.
“We don’t understand why bipartisans would want to change something that was working, if not to please higher political authorities.”
From United We Can, spokesperson Xavier López, along with Treasury Councilor Lidia López, stated that there has not been a strong case showing economic or administrative benefits to transferring tax administration to Diputación, Suma. López argued that any potential savings would be offset by new costs and questioned how many civil servants might be reassigned or dismissed during the transition. He also asserted that no clear infrastructure improvements would be realized, and challenged the feasibility of decentralizing functions in the absence of genuine political will to empower local governance.
He noted that the drafting of the agreement appeared to proceed without substantial input from opposition groups, describing the process as lacking transparency and collaboration.
“This meeting felt more like a formality than a substantive briefing with clear answers.”
In a broader critique, López suggested that the meeting served as political theater for the People’s Party and its allies, raising questions about the timing relative to regional elections. He argued that if the objective is to campaign, it should be done through appropriate channels rather than at public expense or in a way that appears to manipulate municipal affairs for electoral gain.
Natxo Bellido, spokesperson for Comprop, echoed concerns about delegation, arguing that a well-functioning city council should be cautious about transferring powers to a provincial body. He contended that the opposition’s positions were delayed, as they were not included in the negotiations early on, and highlighted a desire for more inclusive consultation.
“If something is going well, why change it? We don’t like delegation, because we trust this City Council.”
Vox also raised questions about the necessity and timing of the change. Spokesperson Mario Ortolá argued that the transfer did not present compelling reasons, and he disputed promises about looser regulatory terms. He pointed out that the General Tax Code applies uniformly to all public administrations, including Suma as an autonomous body, and suggested that essential civic services could still be maintained within the city’s own structure.
“I can’t find any weighty arguments to suggest that this transfer should be made immediately.”
Ortola also criticized plans to centralize neighborhood services, suggesting that closing community centers would undermine local care. He added that there had been a lack of transparency and that Vox would seek the technical reports issued by the Treasury in earlier years for independent review.
Post-Meeting Reactions and Next Steps
Following the session, both PP and Ciudadanos remained silent, labeling it an internal working meeting. The newspaper’s disclosures prompted Barcala to defend the plan, emphasizing a goal of administrative efficiency and closer, more face-to-face service delivery for Alicante residents. He argued that outsourcing could lead to cost savings by widening access, languages, and payment options for citizens without reducing service quality.
Barcala added that Suma could be empowered to facilitate certain processes that are difficult to implement within the City Council due to current legal constraints, noting that some tools might require formal documentation to be executed.
Vox’s Mario Ortolá observed that the group would request the technical reports from the Treasury to better understand the implications. The discussion also touched on historical context: six years prior, Citizens had supported the municipal government’s stance on tax administration, and the administration had previously handed over tax collection responsibilities to Suma during periods of liquidity pressure. Since then, a series of political changes have shaped whether the city council or Suma would oversee taxes in Alicante as part of a broader governance framework.
Looking ahead, the revenue forecast for 2022 highlighted expectations for substantial tax collections across key categories, including IBI, vehicle tax, waste rates, and other municipal fees. The plan to shift tax administration remains a topic of vigorous debate among parties seeking to balance efficiency, transparency, and local autonomy.
Two weeks prior, Barcala stated that the city’s calendar could accommodate a transition, arguing that Suma already cooperates with other municipalities in the province. He claimed that the proposed model would bring services closer to residents, with multilingual support and more flexible payment arrangements. The costs of opening additional offices, he argued, would be outweighed by improved access and service quality.
Six years earlier, Ciudadanos had defended the municipal government’s approach to tax administration. If the current proposal proceeds and is documented, Alicante would trace a path that parallels earlier periods when Suma managed tax collection for the city during times of liquidity, a move that stirred debate about long-term governance and the best structure for tax administration in the city.
Gazing ahead at the 2022 forecast, city leadership anticipated substantial yields from IBI and other taxes, reinforcing the importance of tax policy in shaping Alicante’s municipal budget and public services.