After a month of taking office, the first mayoress of Xàbia, the popular Rosa Cardona, grants an interview to this media to find out what the balance of his first 30 days in government is, after 12 years with the PSOE who has been in charge of the Town Hall xabiero.
Cardona takes the reins of the City Council with his first legislature, although he does not do it alone, but together with the councilors of Ciudadanos por Jávea and VOX; a coalition government with a common objective "to work, work and work for Xàbia".
ASK. It's been a month since she took office as mayor... what balance would she make of these first 30 days in government?
ANSWER. It has been a month of many office hours and many meetings to be able to find out the real situation of the City Council and not the one that has been publicly transmitted to us, which has brought us many surprises.
To give an example, we have found ourselves with an extended budget that has not been settled with the items totally exhausted and in which, luckily, we have a remainder of 50 million euros in the bank; but sadly, that money is fiscally blocked and cannot be used until the budget is settled. That is we cannot dispose of that money, which leads us to not being able to make investments, not being able to carry out what was promised by the previous government such as cultural events planned and announced due to the lack of the corresponding administrative procedure and the consequent budgetary reserve.
In this way, a City Council cannot be managed if there is no money and at this moment the money cannot be spent.
Q. The fact that a tripartite was formed to change the government of Xàbia was somewhat criticized and more so with the incorporation of VOX into that government, do you think the public is wrong?
R. Yes, I have met José Marcos. I have met Ciudadanos por Jávea, Mavi and Juan Ortolá working; the three are people from here, who want the best for their neighbors and for Xàbia. The polls and the neighbors asked for a change and this is a change. They have shown me the responsibility to assume and make decisions as difficult as necessary, as long as they comply with the law and for the benefit of our citizens. So they are making things very easy for us and with great camaraderie to be able to move forward with the problems we have encountered.
Q. If you can find out, what 'surprises' have you found from the previous government team?
R. Well, in addition to the previously announced one of having the money blocked; It has been the lack of foresight, planning and management. If this had been carried out correctly, today we would not find ourselves in the situation of not being able to have financial resources to carry out municipal services and powers from now until the end of the year.
Regarding surprises in the projects, it should be noted that the pool was expected to go ahead and at the moment the correct procedures are not in place regarding the modification of this project, or, for example, the Lighthouse project, which had technical deficiencies in the specifications. Well, all these things prevent normal compliance. We are not going to leave things half done. What the previous government started, must be finished, things are not left half done. But to do things well there are times when you must stop, stop, amend and repair, and then continue and end.
Q. Taking the reins of your government, what has been the first management that you have carried out to make a change in Xàbia?
R. To make a change in Xàbia, the first thing we have decided has been to reorganize the departmental problem in Human Resources. The lack of personnel is leading us to a total and absolute blockade of municipal management. This problem must be repaired and human resources provided to each of the departments so that they can work and thus unblock the administrative management that exists right now. Once this unblocking has occurred, as well as the budgetary blockade, we will be able to carry out our government program and be able to offer results to the citizenry, which is what we have committed to.
Q. With the government pact with CpJ and VOX, there will have been many negotiations to share the line of work. What projects are planned for the next four years?
R. The priority and as the first project of this government team is to finish what is halfway or abandoned: swimming pool, auditorium, Casa Candelaria, industrial estate. But mainly we have to reorganize the internal situation of the City Council and solve the problem of the outfall, for now we will request the change of location, as well as the installation in the treatment plant of the third phase treatment that will allow us to finally achieve clean water and that the discharges from the outfall are fully guaranteed.
Q. In the electoral campaign, among the proposals and projects, you announced the change of meaning of the first Montañar. Is it going to finally take place? What is the purpose of this measure?
R. Yes, of course, it's true. The direction of circulation of the First Montañar will be changed, from Arenal to Puerto. This measure has been requested by the merchants of Duanes de la Mar, because they have had significant economic damage due to this fact. But also, the group sent us that access to the Arenal Beach It is easy from any point in Xàbia, but on the other hand, there is no clear signage to get to port no. From the entrance of the town you can go to Arenal either by Camí Cabanes or Avenida del Plà, but if you enter the historic center, the tourist is immersed in a series of streets or roundabouts that do not facilitate access to this urban nucleus.
For this reason, we have already coordinated with the Local Police so that they make the necessary reports and install correct signage so that everyone can reach Duanes from any point.
Thus, the first measure will be to change the direction of traffic, but above all to guarantee pedestrian safety, and that we will work with the General Directorate of Coasts.
I should also point out that I plan to meet with Costas to start conversations about the project of the Primer Montañar promenade. A project for which main actions must be taken into account, such as providing sewerage to the homes in this area before starting any other relevant investment.
Q. Speaking of changes, it has not only occurred in Xàbia, but also in the regional government, in the Generalitat, in this case, in your favor. The two of the PP, do you think that now some major changes can be achieved in the town? What do you plan to take to the Generalitat to act in favor of Xàbia?
R. We are going to claim from the Generalitat all the schools in Xàbia that are in a deficient situation: classrooms, gymnasium, as well as the Graüll. On the other hand, in the General Directorate of Water we are going to request the third phase of the treatment plant to achieve the Integral Water Cycle. And at the national level, that the highway access to Xàbia be carried out, that a plan be made for the regeneration of the coast and protection of the coast, that they act in the Civil Guard barracks.
Q. Based now on what was pending from the 12 years of the PSOE government, will the new government team continue with the projects and lines of work started or will there be any changes or paralysis?
R. Yes of course. What has started will continue, we are not going to leave things half done, but if we must undo it to do it right, we will do it. We want the projects that are carried out to comply with and have all the appropriate and up-to-date conditions.
Q. Security and cleanliness are two points highly criticized by you being in the opposition, what have been the first measures taken to change this matter?
R. The first measure I took in this matter was just the day after I took office and it coincided with the day after Quintaes. I realized that coordination between citizen security, cleaning and parties had not been planned. Therefore, the first thing was to call a meeting to reorganize the three departments and be able to finish the Fogueres festivities as orderly as possible and all coordinated so that the town presented its best image.
Q. In the urban aspect, the approval of the PGE of the PSOE was not entirely accepted by the opposition; What policy are you going to carry out now in this matter?
R. Access to Xàbia must be modified in the General Plan. It is not possible that the entrance through Gata de Gorgos is chaos every day when you reach the roundabout at the intersection with Benitatxell. Therefore, a roundabout at the height of the Industrial Estate must be incorporated into the General Plan to be able to divert traffic to the urbanizations and the Arenal along the Camí Cabanes. And then, whoever needs to enter the town or Duanes will be able to access through the current road.
On the other hand, the issue of Public Housing is not well provided for in the General Plan and this must be solved due to the lack of housing for our young people, as well as the lack of sports infrastructure. We need homes for now, not for ten years from now, which is what the approved document includes.
Q. In your investiture speech, you highlighted working on a social policy, close to the citizenry and the groups, what or what actions have been implemented for this?
R. The social policy that we want to carry out will not be possible until the City Council and a budget are organized. Although it should be noted that the Department of Servicios Sociales It is working normally and exemplary. The staff is 100% there to attend to all the needs of the municipality and the families that need it.
Q. Finally, to this day, and with only one month in charge of Xàbia, what is your wish in this legislature for the municipality?
R. My desire is to solve the problems that we currently have regarding personnel and budget allocations to carry out the government program that we have planned, to comply with municipal powers. And once we have strengthened the human team of this City Council, we will be able to carry out the program and meet the needs of our neighbors.
You will have a little money left to clean up Atenas street
My question is still about the rubbish bins -the old ones were kicked open; the new ones you have to get your hand dirty to open them!!!- they have worsened in quality. In the plastic containers (the yellow ones) it is difficult to put things in with the containers, the holes are very small!
The trees that were felled and removed in Ave dels Furs in the port... Will they be restored? Has someone from the town hall come to walk down that street in the summer without shade after the amputation of our trees?
Orange trees are planted, which will be very beautiful, but they are small, they do not provide shade, they dirty the streets, they take time to grow, and they are of no use except to attract wasps.
Never before has Customs been so dirty and run down as this past year. It smells of urine, it is not cleaned with water as frequently as it used to be, the sidewalks are pitiful, I have sprained my foot several times due to how abandoned it is.
They remove the garbage rate and it is not cleaned? I don't understand.
Greetings from a neighbor of Customs
And what about El Arenal? Just pay taxes? How shameless they are...
It is not surprising that the old town hall was not effective, neglect of some areas such as Atenas street in total abandonment without lampposts pavement in terrible conditions branches that invade the road both in this street and the continuation to the white cove. I hope you come to see the sorry state and do something
I would go to a judge, maybe someone has done things very badly.