The spokesperson for the PP in the Las Palmas de Gran Canaria City Council, Jimena Delgado, has called on Mayor Carolina Darias to inform about the situation of the waste tax bills already paid, following the annulment of the ordinance by the TSJC.
The spokesperson for the Partido Popular in the Las Palmas de Gran Canaria City Council, Jimena Delgado, demanded on Monday that Mayor Carolina Darias clarify "immediately" the future of the waste tax bills already paid by residents. The demand comes after the High Court of Justice of the Canary Islands (TSJC) annulled the fiscal ordinance regulating this tax, having upheld one of the appeals submitted.
According to Delgado, "the first obligation" of the municipal government is to explain the practical consequences of the ruling. "Citizens have the right to know whether the City Council will appeal to the Supreme Court, what will happen with the money already collected, and what steps to follow while the ruling is not final," said the PP councillor. The PP believes that the silence of the governing team "creates uncertainty" among taxpayers.
A resource that is still in progress
The PP recalls that it already warned during the processing of the ordinance that the tax was "unfair, poorly calculated, and deeply unequal," as it applied the same amount to all homes without taking into account the number of residents or the volume of waste generated. The popular party submitted objections, a restitution appeal —rejected by the government— and subsequently, an administrative contentious appeal to the TSJC that is still being processed.
In May, the PP brought a motion to the Plenary to withdraw the ordinance and halt the collection, but it was rejected by the governing group. Now, with the ruling in hand, Delgado insists that Darias "must decide whether to prolong the uncertainty by appealing to the Supreme Court or whether to accept the ruling and draft a new ordinance in accordance with the law."
Criticism of the state of the cleaning service
The popular spokesperson linked the origin of the tax to the Law 7/2022, passed by the central government, which forced municipalities to establish a tax that reflected the actual cost of the service. "Spain decided to go beyond what the European directive required," said Delgado, accusing Darias of "blindly following the model of Pedro Sánchez."
Furthermore, the councillor denounced that the city "intends to charge one of the highest waste taxes in Spain" while maintaining expired large cleaning contracts, accumulating emergency contracts, and still under the health emergency due to lack of cleaning declared by the mayor herself. "You cannot demand the maximum from residents when the service is not up to standard," she concluded.
So far, the municipal government has not responded to these statements. Meanwhile, the residents of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria are waiting to find out whether they will have to pay again or if the money already paid will be refunded. The ball is in Darias's court.
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