FMRM organizes a conference on Local Financing with national experts
During the meeting of the Executive Committee held in San Pedro del Pinatar, part of the program of these conferences was announced, which emphasizes the need for a model of regional financing in the Region of Murcia that guarantees the principles of equality, solidarity and justice between municipalities.
The FMRM holds the meeting of its Executive Committee at the San Pedro del Pinatar City Hall
The Federation of Municipalities of the Region of Murcia has held the meeting of the Executive Committee in San Pedro del Pinatar to continue with the policy of opening the FMRM to the municipalities and bringing the institution closer to the town councils, involving the mayors of the entire Region. Thus, the meeting was chaired by the president of the Federation, Joaquín Hernández, and by the mayor of San Pedro del Pinatar and member of the Executive Committee, Visitación Martínez, who received and welcomed the rest of the Commission in the Town Hall.
During the meeting, topics of interest that the Federation has been working on over the last three months were discussed, which focus mainly on municipal policy, local financing and institutional relations with other administrations so that coordination between them is beneficial for local governments.
Thus, the FMRM maintains one of its main demands, the need for a Local Financing Law, by the Autonomous Community, which guarantees the principles of equality, solidarity and justice between municipalities. Along these lines, the president has recalled that “the City Councils need this support from the Regional Government to continue and maintain services and attention to citizens, since they are assuming inappropriate responsibilities without the necessary financing.”
In this regard, he announced that on February 22, a conference on local financing will be held within the FMRM, which will be attended by experts in the field at a national level: Ana María Muños Merino, president of the Committee of Experts on Autonomous and Local Financing, appointed by the National Executive; Manuel Robles Delgado, mayor of Fuenlabrada; and Juan Ávila, general secretary of the FEMP, among others. Likewise, two round tables on models of financing or participation in regional taxes in different territories of the country and another in the Region of Murcia with the participation of the different Parliamentary Groups will also be included.
The work of the Federation has also focused during these months on the defence of municipal policies that benefit the municipalities of the Region and on the most current, relevant and impactful issues for everyone, such as the preparation of proposals, through a technical team of experts, for the new Law on Social Services of the Region of Murcia and the need for the Autonomous Community to maintain its commitments to the FMRM and assume the financing of the expenses of the Fire and Rescue Consortium of municipalities with less than 20.000 inhabitants.
In addition, the responsibility of local governments towards citizens has been highlighted through their commitment to eliminate energy poverty, their commitment to the Circular Economy and their collaboration and involvement in the Pact for Excellence in the Social Economy, among other issues.
During the meeting, the progress of the 2017 budget closure was presented and the quotas for 2018 were approved: 0,25 euros per inhabitant/year, thus maintaining the 2017 rate.
Finally, all municipalities have been urged to join the #CohesionAlliance, which aims to support a strong EU cohesion policy in all regions beyond 2020 through joint activities by associations and individuals across Europe.
The meeting was also attended by the Mayor of Cartagena and First Vice-President, Ana Belén Castejón; the Mayor of Lorca and Second Vice-President, Fulgencio Gil; the Mayor of Mula, Juan Jesús Moreno; the Mayor of Alcantarilla, Joaquín Buendía; and the Mayor of Ulea, Víctor Manuel López, as members of the Executive Committee.
