Council of Majorca boosting spending on social services and roads

The Llucmajor-Campos road, considered to be the most dangerous in Majorca. | Alejandro Sepúlveda

Majorca Daily Bulletin reporterPalma20/10/2017 00:00

The Council of Majorca's budget for 2018 will rise by 61 million euros to 441 million. This additional spending is accounted for in different ways. Under the law of financing for the island councils, it will get almost 22 million euros more from the government, on top of which there will be more than 18 million to pay for a transfer of responsibilities from the government to the Council. The remainder will essentially be borrowing, principally to cover the cost of any rulings with regard to land, and a reduction in interest payments of almost 12 million euros.

Spending on personnel will rise by 4.4 million to 67.2 million euros, the reason being salary increases and additional numbers of senior officials whose positions have been approved this year*. There will be a total of 34 million for social services, of which the 18 million plus for transfer of responsibilities therefore represents more than a half. There is to be increased emphasis on services for minors, the disabled and the elderly.

As for infrastructure, there is to be renewal of work on the so-called Via Conectora road in Palma, new work for roads serving Algaida and Lloseta and also the controversial Llucmajor-Campos dual carriageway.

* These new positions can partly be explained by the fact that the Council of Majorca is taking on responsibilities for tourism promotion.