Financial worries for many Spanish Ayuntamientos

 

Escalating debts and falling income due in part to the recession, promises to make 2010 and 2011 diffucult for Spanish Municipal Council,with many having to cut investment in order to balance their debts.

A recent report by the Bank of Spain estimates that there is around 29.25 billion euros owed to local businesses by Town Councils,with 14.85 billion of it relating to the provincial capitals.

Some Ayuntamientos are performing worse than others - Madrid in particular has seen local businesses threatening to stop paying their staff if the city hall does not pay their outstanding bills, which have remained unpaid for almost 1 year.

In Zaragoza the Town Hall has spent what would normally be 25 years budget over the last 5 years alone, however Town Hall officials believe that recent investments place them in a strong position for when Spain finally exits the recession and the economy improves.

Santander's Municpal council has recently reduced debt by 14%, but it is still 75% above the permitted level according to new government guidelines.