THE UPN spokesperson at Pamplona City Hall and party president, Cristina Ibarrolapresented this Wednesday a series of measures aimed at “reduce the tax burden” of the citizens of the capital after updating the city’s assessment report, which she describes as “catastrozo” of Mayor Joseba Asiron.
During a press conference, Ibarrola warned that citizens “They cannot bear another blow to finance the costs of the incompetence of the Bildu and PSN governments.” He stressed that “more taxes do not mean better services”, taking the situation of the public health system as an example.
As explained, the evaluation presentation reveals a difference of 90.79% between the current value and the cadastral value applied so far, which will lead to “a sharp increase in taxes” in Pamplona. As an example, he indicated that in the Old Town, the contribution will increase from 399.70 euros to 618.90 euros. “The City Hall will bleed the inhabitants of Pamplona and will collect an additional 10 million euros” with this increase, he criticized.
For this reason, he demanded that the municipal government “mitigate the impact of this land register“so that this increase is achieved gradually by 25% each year over the next four years. “If this is not done, it is because they do not want to do it because they prefer to continue to bleed into taxes instead of collecting taxes by other means” like the Capital Charter, emphasized Ibarrola, who estimated at 30 million the money that the City Hall would have received over the last three years thanks to the status of capital.
As stated, the municipal government’s proposal assumed increase the contribution by 40 million euros and, with the UPN proposal“citizens would save 15 million”. Money that “will be used to activate the economy and give respite to citizens”, underlined Ibarrola, who insisted that “you just need to have the will”. He also warned that this increase would affect “the most vulnerable” citizens who live in rented accommodation since landlords “will increase the price of rent”.
On the other hand, the regionalists presented a changes to Pamplona tax ordinances to increase the income brackets likely to benefit from a bonus in the payment of the contribution, provided for by the local Treasury law and which reaches a maximum of 90% for families with an income four times higher than the Interprofessional Minimum Salary ( SMI), or nearly 60,000 euros.
Nevertheless, Ibarrola clarified that it is the Town Hall which decides on these bonuses and sections and, according to Pamplona’s approach, “there are very few people” who will have access to the maximum bonus of 90%, “those who earn less than 15,000 euros”. This is why the UPN proposes to increase the brackets so that the maximum bonus is granted to families with income equivalent to the SMI; from 60% to 70% for those who earn between one and two times the SMI; from 20 to 50% for incomes between two and three times the SMI; and from 10% to 30% for income between three and four times the SMI.
Third, UPN commits to reducing tax on increase in value of urban land (capital gains) at 8%, the “minimum provided for by law”, instead of the 17% proposed by the Consistory.
In this line, training shared that a bonus is given to those who rent out their empty house but refused to “penalize” those who “freely do not want to do so”. This is why he proposes to modify the tax ordinances so that empty homes pay “the same contribution as the rest”. As Ibarrola indicates, the law allows for a tax of between 0.25% and 0.5% in the first year for these properties; between 0.5% and 1% the second year; and 1.5% for the third year and subsequent years. In the case of Pamplona, he said, “the maximum” is applied.
Fifth and last, Regionalists demand that the cadastral value be “frozen” properties as of September 30 for the purposes of calculating the variable waste quota. Because with the update of the evaluation report, there will be a “disproportionate increase” in this fee. In addition, UPN requires monthly billingthat the “real costs” of the waste collection and treatment service be monitored to “adjust this rate only when the cost of the service justifies it”, and that a “thorough review of the impact of the cadastral revision of municipal taxes “.
