The president of the FMRM, Víctor Manuel López, has received the Minister of the Presidency, Marcos Ortuño, and the general director, Francisco Abril, to present the content of this practical guide to the mayors and councillors of the municipalities of the region..
This morning, the Federation of Municipalities of the Region of Murcia hosted the presentation of the Practical Guide for Councillors, which is drawn up every four years by the Autonomous Community, specifically by the Ministry of the Presidency through the General Directorate of Local Administration, whose objective is to help representatives of local corporations to fully understand the diversity of tasks and responsibilities of municipal activity in order to improve management in their town councils.
The presentation was led by Councillor Marcos Ortuño and the Director General of Local Administration, Francisco Abril, accompanied by the President of the Federation of Municipalities, Víctor Manuel López.
More than thirty local representatives, including mayors and councillors, attended this meeting on the local world.
The publication, which will be distributed to all local councils and will also be available on the Community's website, focuses on aspects such as municipal organisation, the functioning of collegiate bodies, municipal powers and the management of local public services, the rights and obligations of councillors and local contracting.
It is intended to be a useful tool for mayors and councillors elected in the elections held in May to help them understand the wide and diverse range of responsibilities they will face in the coming years.
It will be especially valid for the 14 mayors who have been elected for the first time this legislature, who have presided over the town councils of Alguazas, Alhama de Murcia, Blanca, Cieza, Jumilla, Librilla, Molina de Segura, Moratalla, San Pedro del Pinatar, Santomera, Torre Pacheco, Las Torres de Cotillas, Totana and La Unión since June, as well as for the new councillors who have also joined the local corporations this year.
The Minister for the Presidency, Spokespersonship and Foreign Affairs, Marcos Ortuño, who presented the manual today accompanied by the President of the Federation of Municipalities of the Region of Murcia, Víctor Manuel López Abenza, explained that “we want to facilitate the work of those who have the responsibility of serving society from our town councils, paying special attention to the issues of greatest importance to them”.
Thus, over 341 pages, the guide answers 194 questions that are structured into 12 chapters and address various topics, including territorial and municipal organization, the functioning of collegiate bodies, municipal public powers and services, budget management, contracting and electronic relations between the different public administrations.
45 years since the first municipal elections
Although it was first published in 2003, it is reissued every four years, after municipal elections, and updates the legislative changes that have taken place. The manual will help councillors who took office for the first time after the May elections to keep up to date with innovative aspects, such as the progressive implementation of electronic administration.
This publication is part of the “regional government’s commitment to build a framework of cooperation and permanent assistance to meet the needs of the 45 municipalities in the region,” Ortuño stressed, who emphasized that “providing this assistance to the new councilors will allow them to better perform their role” and, therefore, “better meet the demands of residents.”
In 2024, it will be 45 years since the first municipal elections, which is why it is an “ideal time to reaffirm the regional government’s commitment to contribute to the defence of local affairs and to help mayors and councillors in their daily work”, concluded the councillor.
