La Vila Joiosa cancels improper waste tax charges in rural areas

The Town Hall of La Vila Joiosa has announced the immediate cancellation of the issued charges for the collection, transfer, and treatment of urban solid waste in various rural areas after a technical issue was detected in the register managed by SUMA. The decision includes the automatic refund of all amounts improperly charged over the last four non-prescribed years.

The mayor, Marcos Zaragoza, was emphatic in stating that "no one in this municipality will pay for a service they do not receive." Although the management of the register is delegated to the provincial tax authority, the Town Hall assures that it has acted swiftly since the first complaints from residents were received.

The root of the problem lies in the technical management of the register carried out by SUMA under municipal delegation. According to the council, the massive data load applied by the tax authority generated charges for certain properties in rural areas where the effective provision of waste collection services is not recorded, as required by the municipal fiscal ordinance.

After receiving the initial complaints, the Town Hall launched an internal investigation from the Mayor's office and summoned SUMA to hear their version. The tax authority acknowledged the issue and committed to collaborating in its immediate resolution.

As a result, the Town Hall will annul the erroneous charges, suspend the ongoing collection, and automatically refund the improperly charged amounts.

The Councillor for Finance and spokesperson for the local government, Paco Pérez Buigues, emphasized that this is "a technical issue in the register's compilation, unrelated to decisions made by the government team." The councillor insisted that the priority now is to restore the situation: "Upon receiving the complaints, the Town Hall investigated, gave a hearing to SUMA, and promoted the correction. The important thing is to resolve it and refund what should not have been paid."

Both the Town Hall and SUMA are currently working on the final list of affected properties, cross-referencing the register information with service maps and container locations. The aim is for the correction to be made automatically, without any resident needing to file an individual complaint.

Mayor Marcos Zaragoza wanted to send a direct message to the residents of the affected areas, explaining that "there is no need for anyone to start a pilgrimage of complaints. The review will be done property by property, and the Town Hall will ensure that what is due is refunded."

The government team has insisted that this adjustment of the register is unrelated to the debate over the general increase in the waste tax derived from state regulations or the so-called 'basurazo'. "That is another legitimate debate, which we will continue to address in the Plenary and with the citizens," Pérez Buigues noted.

The Town Hall emphasizes that the action has been swift and transparent: residents were listened to, the origin of the problem was investigated, and the correction was enforced. "Our commitment is very clear: a fair waste tax that complies with the law and is only paid by those who actually receive the service," concluded the mayor.

The council will also strengthen controls over the delegated management to prevent a similar situation from occurring again, thus ensuring legal security and a clearer fiscal relationship with the residents of La Vila Joiosa's rural areas.