Antigua approves highest budget in its history without raising taxes

The Antigua Town Council has greenlit a 21.7 million euro budget for 2026, marking the largest in the municipality's history.

Facade of Antigua town hall, Fuerteventura, under the afternoon sun.
IA

Facade of Antigua town hall, Fuerteventura, under the afternoon sun.

The Antigua Town Council has unanimously approved a 21.7 million euro budget for 2026, the highest in the municipality's history, without increasing local taxes or fees.

The new accounts, totaling 21,754,537 euros, exceed last year's budget by over one million euros. This budget is considered balanced and aims to improve citizen services, ensure financial sustainability, and meet budgetary stability and public debt objectives.

"We can invest five million euros of surplus generated in 2024 to be executed this year and next."

Matías Peña · Mayor of Antigua
Among the most significant allocations is the contracting of the new street cleaning, public dependency cleaning, and urban waste collection service, with an initial investment of 2.9 million euros, part of a four-year contract totaling 15.5 million. Despite the budget increase, all municipal sports schools, the Emma music school, training workshops, and any events organized by the Antigua Town Council will remain free of charge.
Furthermore, an increase in subsidies for Social Services, Sports, and Agriculture, Livestock, and Fisheries has been planned. Additionally, 127,000 euros have been allocated for the drafting of the Historical Heritage Catalog. Mayor Matías Peña announced that, thanks to a state measure favoring investment in financially sound municipalities, five million euros from the 2024 surplus will be dedicated to key projects. These include improving parks and gardens, paving streets, and repairing the roof of Antigua's sports pavilion, which has been in disrepair for years.