At an Emergency Plenary meeting held in Orihuela Town Hall on Wednesday both the Partido Popular and Ciudadanos have approved the salaries of the mayor, his councillors and their political officers, for the next four years.

The mayor, Emilio Bascuñana, will be paid 61,537 euros per year, while the deputy mayor and leader of the C’s will take home 52,000 euros-annual gross.

In addition to their salaries they will also earn a further 3,000 and 1,500 euros per year, respectively as remuneration for the presidency and vice-presidency of municipal commissions, although to date they have not yet been designated.

The proposition was exactly the same as that thrown out two weeks ago by Aix and the PSOE, led by Carolina Gracia, but now that he is a member of the coalition with the PP Snr Aix felt it prudent to ensure that he and his councillors are now paid.

In voting through the salaries, all of which are increased from those earned during the previous mandate, both the PSOE and Cambiemos opposed the motion while VOX abstained.

It is understood that councillors without government responsibility will earn 12,500 euros per councillor while a maximum of 25 government will earn between 46,000 and 28,000 euros gross per year depending on their seniority.

There will also be extra payments for attendance; plenary 200 euros per session, Government Board 100 euros, Permanent Commissions 100 euros, and the Board of Spokespersons 100 euros.

The final delegation of council positions was also confirmed:

    • Bascuñana Galiano: Relaciones Institucionales.
    • Rafael Almagro Palacios: Hacienda, Patrimonio, Patrimonio Histórico y Comunicación.
    • Víctor Valverde Sáez: Emergencias, Desarrollo Rural, Fomento de Empleo y Agricultura.
    • Sabina-Goretti Galindo Benito: Contratación, Grandes Proyectos, Modernización y Nuevas Tecnologías.
    • Mariola Rocamora Gisbert: Festividades, Turismo, Protocolo y Residentes Internacionales.
    • Dámaso Aparicio García: Transparencia, Medio Ambiente, y Limpieza Viaria y RSU.
    • Mayte Sánchez Cánovas: Servicios Sociales, Inmigración, Participación Ciudadana e Igualdad.
    • Víctor Bernabéu Gutiérrez: Deportes, Comercio, Mercados, Industria y Energía.
    • José Galiano Moreno: Sanidad, Consumo, Transporte, Parque Móvil y Estadística.
    • José Aix Egío: Urbanismo y Planeamiento.
    • Luisa Boné Campillo: Recursos Humanos y Régimen Interior.
    • Mar Ezcurra García: Cultura y Juventud.
    • Ángel Noguera García: Infraestructuras, servicios y mantenimiento, Parques y Jardines, Agua y Alumbrado Público.
    • Ramón López Cabrera: Seguridad Ciudadana, Playas y Educación.