Callosa d'en Sarrià Approves 2026 Budget with a 3.7% Increase

Callosa d'en Sarrià held an extraordinary council meeting on Tuesday evening to approve the 2026 Municipal Budget, a document that will set the course for the next fiscal year. The budget was passed with the backing of the ruling Popular Party, along with the Compromís and Valencia Unida groups. The four PSOE councillors were the only ones to vote against it, breaking the broad consensus that had accompanied the other parties.

The approved budget amounts to €9,758,939.81, representing an approximate increase of 3.7% compared to the previous year. This rise is supported by resource optimisation and administrative efficiency, which the local government, led by Mayor Andrés Molina, has made the cornerstone of its management. Additionally, the budget adheres to the principles of budgetary stability, financial sustainability, and non-financial expenditure control required by national regulations.

Mayor Andrés Molina emphasised during the session that the primary goal remains to ensure the Town Hall operates as a solvent, balanced administration capable of meeting its commitments without financial strain. He explained that the average payment period to suppliers remains within recommended margins, which he believes demonstrates that the council follows an orderly and efficient work line, capable of driving investments without compromising the municipal economy. Molina insisted that the budget complies with the spending rule defined by the Ministry of Finance and that all these elements enable the municipality to undertake actions that directly impact residents' well-being.

In the section dedicated to the municipal workforce, personnel expenses continue to represent about 41.9% of the total budget, a percentage that remains stable compared to previous years and which the government team considers adequate to ensure the proper provision of public services.

The investment chapter for 2026 reaches €1,018,476.84 and is entirely financed with own resources. This figure represents an increase of over 33% compared to the previous period, an increase that will allow for significant actions in various parts of the municipality.

Among them are interventions such as the renovation of the emblematic Font dels Patos in Plaça Quatre Carreteres or the installation of a new pipeline for water elevation in Margeve. The Town Hall will also implement a plan for asphalting roads, parking lots, and municipal lands and allocate funds for the installation of awnings in Plaça del Convent to improve shade in one of the most frequented areas of the town centre.

In the natural site of les Fonts del Algar, the completion of the covering of the Algar road ditch is planned to make it walkable and increase pedestrian safety, in addition to the renewal of railings and the acquisition of new materials for maintaining the environment. The modernisation of the ticket office POS systems, aimed at streamlining ticket sales, completes the planned improvements for this tourist enclave.

Callosa d'en Sarrià will enhance road safety by installing new railings in various parts of the municipality, and the Local Police will acquire a mobile speed radar after confirming, both through installed educational radars and residents' complaints, that speeds exceeding 110 km/h are reached on some roads.

In terms of historical heritage, the Town Hall will allocate funds for the conservation of Fort de Bèrnia, while in the educational field, significant improvements will be made in public schools such as CEIP Mirantbó and CEIP Bernat de Sarrià, as well as the incorporation of new elements for early development in the Nursery School.

Sports will also see notable actions, including the installation of new artificial turf on the football-4 field at Parque del Llaurador and the renovation of municipal sports facilities, while the municipal pool will debut a new heater for its changing rooms. In the cultural section, part of the public-use furniture and infrastructure will be renewed, and IT and electronic equipment will be updated to ensure better service at events and activities.

The spokesperson for the Socialist Party, Mari Carmen Mascaró, justified her vote against the budget by considering it "insufficient in many aspects" and criticised the lack of what she described as "a solid project for Callosa." Nevertheless, she acknowledged progress in areas such as equality and street cleaning, though she emphasised the need to rethink the municipality's tourism model.

Meanwhile, the spokesperson for Compromís per Callosa d'en Sarrià, Marisa Sellés, celebrated that numerous proposals from her group have been incorporated once again and highlighted especially the investments in public schools, noting that it had been more than two decades since such significant action was taken.

From Valencia Unida, deputy spokesperson Juana Mari Romera positively valued that the budgets include projects her party had been advocating for, such as the asphalting of parking lots or the renovation of the Font dels Patos. She considered these necessary actions and expressed her satisfaction for supporting a budget that, in her opinion, will contribute to improving the daily life of the municipality.

Mayor Andrés Molina regretted the PSOE's stance and noted that he hoped this year the socialist group would contribute concrete proposals as Compromís and Valencia Unida have done since 2023. He stated that the Popular Party remains willing to listen and add suggestions from all municipal groups and that the 2026 Budget is a clear example of this willingness for consensus.