'We want a meeting with the Mayor'

JIMENA We read about this on TioJimeno, and herewith offer an abridged, translated version of the open letter Elizabeth and John Holtermann sent to our colleagues up the road. "To Jimena Town Hall: We have asked for a meeting with the Secretary, and it was cancelled. Meanwhile, we wrote to the Mayor and handed the letter to him personally, but have received no answer. We assume that anyone living in a municipality has the right to a meeting, if not with the Mayor, then with the Secretary. We thought we would no longer have to deal with the same kind of people as we did with the previous administration, but it looks as though we're wrong. Therefore we ask: if the Secretary cancels a meeting and the Mayor doesn't reply to our letter, what's the point in having voted for another party at the elections?" We at JimenaPulse have some answers that might interest the Holtermanns (see below).>>>

Electricity turned off at swimming pool, bar, football pitch and Instituto Al-Andalus

Instituto Al-Andalus (l.) with
football pitch in the distance

Generators hired for school and football

JIMENA On the 15th of the month, Endesa, the power company, cut the electricity to the area around the Al-Andalus vocational school, which also serves the municipal pool, the football pitch and the clubhouse and bar (sede). The reason? You guessed it: non-payment of bills. It turns out, say our sources, that while arrangements for payment had been agreed, the Council has been unable to meet them. This has been an ongoing problem: if you remember, the company turned off the power to the Town Hall on the day the new Jimena government took over. Pressure, pressure. However, generators have been hired for both the Al-Andalus school and the football pitch. The power cut happened just as the school kids were about to take their term exams. We have been unable to contact them or their teachers today to round off this item. The question arises as to whether there will be enough money for fuel to keep the generators running ... In the meantime, the people running the bar at the top of the hill complain that they have lost everything in their fridge and freezers so they might have to close but daren't because they are afraid of losing the concession, which is their only source of income.

Yesterday's Council session: heated debate and accusations and denuncias aplenty

(Photo: TioJimeno.org)

JIMENA This month's Council Plenary Session lasted five hours. There were many items on the agenda, certainly, but accusations flew Left and Right. We will analyse the information that TioJimeno gave out almost as it happened (he types fast, does Ricardo!) and try to make sense of it all. The salient points, it appears, are the lawsuit the Plenary session has approved against former mayor Pascual Collado (PSOE) in the so-called Collado/Viñas case. That and the denuncia and lawsuit from the PSOE against the present Mayor, Guillermo Ruiz. Watch this space.

Jimena owes Junta over €205,000 for centre for the elderly

Estación in the distance

JIMENA (Agencies) Councillor Pedro Corbacho (PP) is in charge of the municipal exchequer. He feels that we are at the mercy of the Junta de Andalucía (PSOE, elections looming) because the municipality is supposed to return €205,126.51, plus €78,136.43 in interest that was granted to the previous (PSOE) Council to build a centre for the elderly in the Gurugú section of Estación. It was never built, but the money is no longer there either. The Junta is asking for the money back, and as long as it is not returned, it can close off a major part of Jimena's income from the so-called Patrica share-out system. The previous PSOE Council received a total of  €270,126.61 between 2003 and 2004 for>>>

Mayor accuses predecessor of making 'irregular' payments

Gremio vehicle at International
Music Festival (© A.Bullrich)

Previous Council soon to be denounced for embezzlement

JIMENA (Agencies) Guillermo Ruiz (PP), Mayor of Jimena, yesterday announced that he and his team have recently discovered evidence of allegedly illegal payments to two companies by the previous Council headed by Pascual Collado (PSOE). Ruiz pointed out that these were monies that had been 'recognised' (or accepted) and paid without proper bills or receipts. Such is the case with Gremio, a company that was hired by the Council to help with the International Music Festivals, and which does similar work for other councils but only those of the socialist persuasion with less than 20,000 inhabitants. The other company allegedly implicated in this network of doubtful payments is one that has never had its relationship with the Town Hall clarified but got work without entering any tender. This too had bills accepted and paid for. On another related matter, Ruiz announced that his team has a series of suits prepared and ready for presentation soon, accusing the previous government of misappropriation of funds. This is related to the fact that the Council received grants of €250,000 to restore the castle and another €400,000 to build a geriatric centre in Estación, but the money was used for other things, which is the cause behind which Jimena is having so much trouble receiving its share of the Junta's PICA funds and has already had several properties embargoed.

Council wants exact report of town hall workforce

Pedro Corbacho at Council meeting

JIMENA (Agencies) Pedro Corbacho, Councillor for Treasury, has requested a report (RPT, Relación de Puestos de Trabajo) on the exact composition of the Town Hall workforce and its precise cost in salaries and other items. Corbacho said the report is needed immediately because of the town's desperate financial situation. Its participation in the State Income (See PIE) has been retained for several months and therefore there have been innumerable problems with meeting monthly payrolls (The money for January salaries was received yesterday but the extra pay for December is still pending). Corbacho has requested help in creating the RPT from the provincial authority, Diputación, but if this is not received, the Council will make do with whatever resources are available. "We have to know what each employee does and the exact functions of every department, in order to carry out the changes necessary to attain at least some balance." He added that the town's income has been severely curtailed since the PP came to power.>>>

Junta amnesty for 90% of illegal building in Andalucía

Illegal construction in Chiclana

Another 10% to remain under threat of demolition

ANDALUCÍA (Agencies) Nine out of ten constructions, be they individual homes or within an urbanization, that were constructed on what is called suelo no urbanizable, or restricted land, will be able to obtain property rights for their owners, after a decree was approved last week by the Junta de Andalucía's Government Council. The rest will be demolished unless otherwise instructed by a Court of Law. The announcement by the Junta's Councillor for Housing, Josefina Cruz Villalón, confirms what had previously been mentioned by the President of the Junta, José Antonio Griñán, during the State of the Region debate last June. In fact, there is no register of otherwise 'illegal' construction, except as listed in reports such as those carried out in the Axarquía region of Málaga, for example. So, with the help of aerial photography, the Junta has calculated that about 10% of the 250,000 'illegal' buildings can be made fully legal. Another 80% will not be officially 'legalized' but will have their circumstances approved so that they can legally obtain basic services such as water, power, etc.. The remaining 10% will not get any kind of approval or legalization and will be scheduled for demolition, unless otherwise directed by a court.>>>

Tuesday's Council session shows estimated debt of over €17 million

(Photo: TioJimeno)

JIMENA (Europa Sur) The special plenary session held on Tuesday evening to debate Jimena's debt revealed that the new PP government, headed by Guillermo Ruiz, calculates that we owe €17,170,054.32 - some €1,700 per head of population. This figure comes from the arithmetic of the 'accidental' interventor (comptroller) and is far above the estimate of 9,600,000 presented in January by the outgoing PSOE government of Pascual Collado, which was based, so said Collado at the time, on figures for 2010. It was a heated debate involving all four parties on the Council. Accusations flew but it was Mayor Ruiz who accused the previous Government of having "mortally wounded" the treasury and made it impossible to obtain credit.>>>

Junta to invest €256,491 to renovate El Calvario

El Calvario this morning

JIMENA (Agencies) EPSA, the Junta's public housing company, is to invest €256,491.69 to renovate 60 homes in the El Calvario section of the village. The PSOE group on the Council made the announcement yesterday, adding that the work is up for tender. The group, now in opposition, pointed out that the request for funding was made in 2008, when it was in power. Work will consist of repairs to the fronts of several houses, improvements to some of the streetlets that access the area, which will mean building new stairs and ramps, while also eliminating several gardens. Work is estimated to begin in 2012.

Jimena manages to pay September salaries

Jimena from the castle

JIMENA Municipal employees yesterday received their salaries for September, fifteen days after the due date. A deal was made by Councillor Pedro Corbacho whereby the €130,000 needed to pay the wages of 90 people every month, came from state or regional sources that owe Jimena money - despite the fact that other entities are claiming money from the Council. "It was a difficult process but we managed to unblock the conflict so that we can pay this month." But there are no similar amounts in place for next month or thereafter, as the state monies distribution, known as PIE, is to be retained until other debts are paid by the Council. "We're going to try reaching an agreement with the Tax authorities and Social Security so that we can count on at least some of that money over the next few months. Both Corbacho and Mayor Guillermo Ruiz agree that things are desperate. "Our priorities are to pay the wages, but there is absolutely no income," says Ruiz.

Jimena opts out of the 21st century (let alone the late 20th)

Right Mayor, wrong text
or vice versa

JIMENA As somebody just said: the mind boggles. We're well into the 21st century (yes, madam, we are, please sit down) yet Jimena Council announced yesterday via the local 'newspaper of reference' Europa Sur, that it is eliminating its web page. True, there isn't much difference to the situation the day before that because the web page has not been updated since the local elections in May - except for a change of photograph but not of text: on May 27th the photograph was changed to that of the new mayor, Guillermo Ruiz (PP), but the text that is still there was written by the former mayor, Pascual Collado (PSOE).A nice bit of political cooperation there. And the only bit of political cooperation, by the look of it. Certainly the only bit of anything uploaded to the site since then. No news, no information (you can't get onto the emergency numbers page, for instance - but you can here), nothing. Not even information about the components of the new Council - but we have the answer here and on the sidebar. There is no news from the Ayuntamiento as to why this is happening, but we're willing to bet it will be blamed either on the lack of money or on the previous government (PSOE), which comes to much of the same thing.

Jimena can't meet payroll because of loss of PIE income

Pedro Corbacho

JIMENA (Agencies) As we reported here, state and regional payments have been retained from Jimena until the Social Security and Tax authorities have been paid. This means that the Council is unable to meet its payroll for September. The 90 people working in the Town Hall have yet to receive their salary and, according to Councillor for the Treasury Pedro Corbacho, the situation is made worse because there is no income of any kind. Therefore, Jimena joins La Línea and Los Barrios in being unable to pay their employees. Corbacho is making all sorts of efforts to get the matter settled but says that, while the Council needs €130,000 every month to meet the payroll, "every month there is a new surprise. The opposition [is the same party] as the Junta and the central government. I no longer believe in coincidences - but I do believe in the phone." (Prospero note: Don't you wish they would all just stop throwing ever larger stones at each other like children in the playground and get together to do what they were voted in for: to sort things out?)

Jimena's new Town Clerk

Alejandro del Corral Fleming (Photo: TioJimeno)

JIMENA (Source: TioJimeno) A new Secretario (Town Clerk) has been appointed and is installed at the Ayuntamiento. Alejandro del Corral Fleming is taking over from Antonio Sarrias, who has been what is called an 'accidental' TC for several years. Del Corral, 32, is from Málaga, is a Law graduate from the University of Málaga and is presently studying Political Science and Administration. Among other studies, he has specialised in Urban Planning and Discipline. He has held various Secretarial positions (we explain his functions below), most recently in San Roque, where he worked for three years. Welcome to Jimena.>>>

PP awaits Pineda's recovery with patience

Francisco 'Paco' Pineda

JIMENA (TioJimeno) The Jimena branch of the Partido Popular (PP) waits patiently for the recovery of the man who headed its electoral list. Francisco Pineda had a stroke during the campaign for local elections on May 22. He has been in hospital ever since but is said to be recovering quickly and well; Family sources said he could well be leaving hospital in the next few weeks, to continue rehabilitation treatment at home in Jimena. The party is hoping he will be willing to take up his place as a Councillor as soon as, and if, he feels up to the task. He cannot become Mayor, as the period for that possibility ended 48 hours after the Council held its first investiture session early last June. "The only way his place could become vacant," according to Councillor Pedro Corbacho, "is that he resigns from it expressly, or he is declared incompetent, neither of which will happen." MORE NEWS AND HEADLINES ON CAMPOPULSE

Come back tomorrow

JIMENA (Item & Photo: TioJimeno) 'Come back tomorrow' is approximately what the sign on a door at the Town Hall says. Let's expand: "Certified True Copies and Registration Certificates will be requested at the General Registry and be picked up the following day." Until now, obtaining these bureaucratic requirements was simply a matter of turning up and getting them. From now on, they must be requested in writing at the entrance (window on the left as you go in, unless things have changed a lot more radically up there!) and picked up the following day. Doesn't matter (at the TH) if you have to take another day off to do so. Well, changes and cutbacks are the order of the day...

Where's her mate? Oh deer, oh deer!

Where's the male?

The male of this species disappeared on Monday, according to several sources. Rumour has it that he was the victim of vandalism over the feria weekend, others say he had his horns shorn again. The question is: has he been taken taken away? If so, why? Can we please have some information, Council? (This text was taken almost in its entirety from TioJimeno, who is as concerned as we are about our poor dear deer. The photo, however, was taken by Prospero this morning.)

Jimena has 100% of state income retained over debt

Mayor Guillermo Ruiz Ruiz

JIMENA (Press release) The Council has received a communication from the Economy Ministry stating that 100% of all the municipality's income proceeding from its Participation in State Taxes (Participación en los Impuestos del Estado, or PIE) in order to tackle the debt the Council has with the Treasury and Social Security in unpaid bills from municipal employee wages. Mayor Guillermo Ruiz says, "this is a real problem; without income we can't carry out an efficient government service." He added that this is the result of the "catastrophic management carried out by the previous (Socialist) government, which has placed our wellbeing in jeopardy by leaving us without an income. A process has begun to try and find a solution to this very serious problem. "I am very concerned by how quickly the central and regional (Socialist) governments have moved since the Partido Popular took over the Council in Jimena. It had never occurred to them to retain any income from the Council when it was run by the PSOE, but now, when we are no longer of the same political colour and in a grave financial situation, we get hit the hardest." (See also: EXCLUSIVE: Jimena owes Social Security almost €1,2000,000)

Mayor announces internal audit to 'get to the bottom of municipal finances'

JIMENA (Press release) Mayor Guillermo Ruiz (centre) announced yesterday that he has ordered an internal audit of the municipal accounts, as he had forewarned at his investiture ceremony. At a meeting yesterday morning with Teresa Ruiz-Sillero (right), Secretary General of the provincial PP, Juan Antonio Liaño (second from l.), provincial deputy and head of Treasury, as well as Councillors Pedro Corbacho (Treasury, left) and Maria Jose Pro (First Deputy Mayor, second from r.), it was decided that the audit should go ahead because, as Ruiz said later, the previous mayor's handling of the accounts was "disastrous". Former Mayor Collado, said the present Mayor, "had used money from grants for public works to pay municipal debts. This is not legal." He also pointed out -again- that the Council owed €1,200,000 to Social Security alone.

Dogged politics mar agreements on San Pablo 'divorce proceedings'

JIMENA/SanPablo (Agencies) As we announced here, San Pablo is in 'divorce proceedings' against Jimena. The matter has taken on a different tone now that a new local government (PP) is in place in Jimena, while that old PSOE warhorse, Andres Beffa, is still in (apparently unelected) power in San Pablo. As part of the municipality, San Pablo must meet certain requirements in order to continue the process towards becoming an ELA (Entidad Local Autonoma) like San Martin del Tesorillo. The first of these is to set up a Junta Municipal de Distrito, which needs Jimena Mayor Guillermo Ruiz to designate which local associations will be on that council. Only three such will have 'voice and vote', according to municipal rules. Ruiz has met with some of the main associations to enable an agreement, but this has not happened. The matter is urgent as the 'mini-council' must be constituted by next Friday. The Mayor is in a quandary: "It is a strange, difficult situation because if I designate the associations there will be those who will be unhappy." (Prospero note: There are always those who could never agree even with their own shadow. Jimena is rife with the sort who prefer to put party and personal interests before those of the municipality's well-being. The latter is desperately needed at this desperate (financial) time.)

Aaaaah, cool! The pool opens at last

JIMENA All (well, some of) the difficulties evidently surmounted, Jimena's municipal swimming pool opened at last this morning. We were out all day but got a photo when we came back in the heat of the day, when there weren't too many people. We were told that there was a long queue for swimming lessons this morning, although those that didn't happen earlier this week -having been scheduled to start on Monday- will be held at the end of the eriod. We will have to confirm this, and the when the municipal facility is due to close for the summer.Opening hours are as follows: 9am to 2pm, swimming lessons (check your hours). 2pm to 7pm, Monday to Friday, open to the public. Weekends, Saturday & Sunday, open to the public from 12 noon to 8pm. Entrance is €1 for under-15s and €2 for the rest of us.