Calp Presents a 'Prudent and Ambitious' 2026 Budget to Strengthen Services, Social Support, and Key Investments

Calp Town Hall has unveiled its municipal budget project for 2026, a €45.8 million plan described by the governing team as 'balanced, realistic, and aimed at strengthening public services'. The document is presented amidst the return of fiscal rules, rising costs, and a strategy to maintain municipal solvency (Calp has maintained zero debt since 2022) and ensure useful investments for the daily life of citizens.

The budget retains fiscal measures aimed at relieving families and businesses, with IBI discounts, support for energy self-consumption, exemptions for new commercial openings, suspended fees during the low season, and reinforced public transport. It also consolidates extraordinary income through the launch of remunerated accounts and the new regulated parking contract.

A significant portion of the economic effort is dedicated to strengthening municipal services: cleaning, beaches, urban maintenance, security, and socio-cultural activities. Simultaneously, social aid and subsidies for housing, student transport, energy efficiency, and projects driven by local associations are increased. The commitment to the elderly is reflected in the expansion of the active ageing programme and the reorganisation of public transport to improve accessibility.

In terms of personnel, the budget incorporates new positions to adapt the workforce to the needs of a growing municipality, while maintaining financial prudence through the amortisation of other positions.

Investments for 2026 amount to €3.6 million and focus on priority actions: sanitation, rainwater, public lighting, pavement accessibility, improvements in urbanisations, walkway repairs, electrical connection of IES Les Salines, and expansion of urban gardens, among others. Additionally, ongoing multi-annual projects such as the renovation of the Fossa promenade, the remodelling of Plaza Mayor, the new CRISOL, and the future 21st-century tourist office continue.

The plenary debate revealed opposing views. While Mayor Ana Sala defended the budget as 'prudent, realistic, and ambitious', prioritising real needs over superfluous spending, the opposition questioned the scope of some investments and called for more consensus in its preparation. Sala highlighted recent decisions, such as allocating part of the protocol funds to aid for the DANA in Valencia, 'prioritising people over events and promotion', and added that the waste tax is being reviewed and an external audit of the cleaning service is underway to improve its control.

Ximo Perles (Compromís) argued that this is 'the budget we have been able to make with the current fiscal rules', noting that it allows for the expansion of services such as building maintenance or the municipal pool for vulnerable groups. Meanwhile, Guillermo Sendra (PSOE) insisted that the accounts show 'a genuine willingness to unblock old projects' and advance necessary actions for the citizens.

Juan Manuel del Pino (Somos Calpe) valued the agreement within the governing team, stating that it demonstrates that 'it is possible for different political and ideological sensitivities to agree on economic issues as well', and argued that 'on the street, it is perceived that important things are being done to improve the lives of Calp residents'.

From the opposition, Toni Tur (Defendamos Calpe) criticised the budget for having 'more political and advertising weight than practical effects' and called for more time and consensus in its preparation. Similarly, Miguel Crespo (PP) considered that many investments 'are old acquaintances already announced on other occasions', and questioned whether the government's priorities align with those of the citizens, citing the waste tax and satisfaction with urban cleanliness.