Alicante Government Team Thanks Toni Gallego for His Service

The Alicante Government team has expressed its support for the former councillor Toni Gallego following his resignation this Monday over the management of Alicante's Financial Economic Plan. In response to journalists' questions, the Government's co-spokesperson, Manuel Villar, thanked the former councillor for his work over the past two years.

"We also thank him for joining the candidacy at the time and the step he took yesterday. He understood that the best thing for the city was to step aside, and we must appreciate that sacrifice," Villar stated.

The councillor also explained the next steps. The Secretariat of the Plenary will report the cessation at the next session, and we will have to wait for the Electoral Board to process the documentation for the next position on the list.

"We will have to see if Rafael Alemañ is willing to take up the position. It has been too quick to foresee anything, and he will have to talk to the company and see if he accepts," the councillor explained regarding Gallego's possible replacement. If he accepts, he would take office at the next plenary session (the last before the summer holidays, scheduled for July).

Also up in the air is the distribution of the responsibilities left vacant by Gallego: Finance, Heritage, and Sports. For now, they all fall under the figure of Deputy Mayor Manuel Villar, although he assures that later "they will have to be distributed."

On the approval of the Financial Economic Plan, Villar explained that this Thursday the Finance Committee will meet, to which the text arrives as approved by the Government Board, without the IBI reduction that caused the break with Vox. However, in this committee, a self-amendment will be presented to allow the reduction of municipal taxes. The project will reach the Plenary on June 26.

Villar defended that they are satisfied with the agreement reached with Vox to provide economic stability to the city. The councillor thus cleared doubts about the socialists' offer to approve the 'adjustment plan':

"We worked to have it approved by Vox, and we made the decision we had to make, which is to reach an agreement with this formation."

Regarding how the IBI reduction is adjusted, the councillor indicated that some items have been restructured based on the expected execution, so those amounts have been adjusted by deferring the accrual to 2026, although without specifying details. These will be known in the Finance Committee on Wednesday, June 18.

Villar insisted that "agreements are to be fulfilled," referring both to the budget agreement and the one reached with Compromís for the approval of the public road occupation ordinance.

In response to journalists' questions, the councillor detailed aspects of the pact with Vox, which include reviewing the reduction of terrace occupation and the nightlife time limits in the Acoustically Saturated Zones (ZAS).

On that point, he recalled that the processing of the ZAS is in the period of studying allegations, so they will have to assess "the best decision for everyone." Additionally, he noted that in this process, the participation of the formation led by Robledillo will be included.