The advisor of the Municipal Socialist Group, Jose Carlos Vegaappeared this Thursday to denounce the “disastrous” Christmas organized by the mayor of Toledo and his government team. A Christmas program “where only 25 percent of tendered contracts were awarded and in which the only contract thus assigned, the Christmas market in the Plaza del Ayuntamiento, is continued and does not comply with the conditions established in the specifications, such as charging 2.5 euros per trip on the carousel or the installation of an 8 meter fir tree, among others.
The socialist councilor considers that “Carlos Velázquez and his Advisor for Celebrations are the “solely responsible”, which is why he requested an urgent audit of this contract as well as the convening of a Extraordinary Finance Commission so that they “give explanations on this irregularity and on the management of other Christmas markets allocated without attendance or remaining deserted”.
About him Christmas market on the Town Hall Square, The company that came second in the award process, according to the PSOE, will sue the Toledo City Council for awarding said contract during the period of allegations before the long weekend in December, “a possible fine that the residents of Toledo will have to pay their pocket due to the disastrous management of the PP and Vox government.
“A market in which it is urgent to carry out a technical audit and open the corresponding sanction file because the winning company does not respect the contract, something very serious which also happened at Christmas 2023 and in which the owner of Festejos is not taking action,” he said.
The company that currently manages it, as they explain, “does not respect several aspects of the tender file: the first, charging 2.5 euros for the ride on the carousel since its opening on November 22 , she charges 3.5 euros. “, a condition which earned him several points to obtain the prize but which once implemented, he does not respect.
It also does not respect the measurements of the sheds: “Those of the churrería and the potato shed do not have a chimney as indicated in the specifications, and although it is a heritage space , they are not on permeable and insulating soil to protect them. he. And the last straw is the 8 meter tree which was to be installed by contract and which, being smaller, was raised on a platform to simulate 8 meters. Do they think we are naive and won’t realize it?
Concerning contracts of Recaredo Children’s Fair and the ice rink, deserted, had to be allocated by negotiated contract, without advertising, “that is to say by invitation”. This is why the socialist councilor also asked the Velázquez government to know how this negotiation took place and whether the conditions of the initial tender were respected.
Likewise, he requested information on the award of the Zocodover and bridges contracts, “whose management was awarded without competition although there was more than one company or association interested, some of them, without yet a response from the Town Hall. . Furthermore, he warned that if the average price of stands in these markets is around 3,500 euros, someone charges 70,000 euros and he wonders what impact this has for the City Hall.
Christmas lights
He also criticized the installation of the Christmas lights, which began almost 20 days late, hence the delay in the inauguration of the illuminations planned and announced by the PP government and Vox, and denounced that it There are areas of Toledo where the Christmas illuminations have not arrived. “There are first-class neighborhoods, with a notable incidence of ornaments; third-class neighborhoods like Azucaica with a tree and five light garlands or Palomarejos, with nine arches, and uncategorized neighborhoods, like La Legua which does not fall into the distribution of lights in the specifications.
Likewise, he questioned some of the elements retained by the government of Velazquez so that they shine in Toledo like “the transitable star of Bisagra, located in the roundabout, therefore impossible to transit; Three Wise Men hanging on the wall of the Puerta de Bisagra declared BIC and protected and which should have passed through the Heritage Commission, or Merry Christmas panels, like the one at the northern entrance to Toledo, for which magnifying glasses capable of read them.
During his appearance, the socialist councilor also criticized the program of activities proposed by the mayor with only 16 activities managed directly by the Town Hall and filled with the programming of the Rojas Theater, private activities of the Palais des Congrès or proposals from the Consortium. .
A “tailor-made” program that does not reach the neighborhoods “as promised” and which maintains successful proposals promoted by the socialist government such as the Toledo Coral, very focused on the historic center, or the Ruta del Aguinaldo which reduced to only group in Toledo.
Christmas in Torrejón
Finally, and within this disastrous Christmas of Velázquez, The socialist councilor regretted that the government allows the announcement of Christmas in a city other than Toledo, Torrejón de Ardoz, on city buses. “An unprecedented event due to the absence of the tourism advisor, who seems to care little about the promotion of Toledo or any other city,” he said.
