Mayor of Marbella in bid to increase council funds

Marbella's Mayor has appealed to expatriates to register on the municipal census (padron) so the city can get more funding.

Angeles Munoz is aiming to add a further 5,000 names on top of the current 145,000 registered residents. However, this is still an estimated 50,000 fewer registrations than there are permanent residents in Marbella.

In Spain a local council's funding is largely dependent on the total number of inhabitants in the area. This means that the fewer people registered the less money the council has available to spend. It is with this in mind that the mayor, the current leader of the Popular Party in the city, is asking the large and expanding expat community in Marbella to help by registering on the padron. In return for registering expats can gain access to many city hall services and discounts otherwise unavailable.

The Mayor stated: “The goal we have set ourselves is to get the 145,000 people currently registered up to 150,000. This will enable us to get more funding from other administrations to help create more facilities for the city, thereby providing a better service.”

An extra 5,000 census registrations would push Marbella into the highest available bracket for distributed council funds, which in turn would give more opportunities for improved facilities and services in the Marbella area.