The Local Government Board of Pozuelo de Alarcón approved new outsourcing contracts on Thursday, including the organisation of the decoration award ceremony and the high-quality production of corporate audiovisual content.
The Pozuelo de Alarcón City Council has once again delegated services to private companies that, in theory, could be carried out by its own officials. The Local Government Board, chaired by Mayor Paloma Tejero, approved four contracts and two outsourcing files on Thursday, in addition to three extensions of already contracted services.
Decorations at a gold price
One of the most striking contracts is for the organisation of the institutional decoration award ceremony. The City Council has decided to pay an external company to design and execute the ceremony, a task that, according to local criticism, could be undertaken by municipal staff at no additional cost.
The municipal opposition has already criticised this decision, labelling it as “unnecessary waste” in a context of public spending restraint. Municipal sources defend that they seek “the highest quality and professionalism” in an event they consider relevant for the city's image.
Audiovisuals in the election campaign
The second highlighted contract is for high-quality corporate audiovisual content production services. With an eye on the upcoming municipal elections, the government team ensures high-level videos and photographs for its institutional and, presumably, electoral communications.
The award has been criticised by opposition groups, who believe that “image is prioritised over basic services”. A spokesperson for the local PSOE pointed out that “while budgets for cleaning or maintenance are being cut, thousands of euros are spent to make the mayor look good in videos.”
Name change: from Intendente to Comisario
Among the approved decisions is the modification of the Job Position Relationship of the civil service staff. This measure, which arrives four years late, changes the title from “Intendente” to “Comisario” in the Local Police, an adjustment that does not imply a change in functions or salary.
This modification responds to a long-standing demand from the officers, who felt that the term “Intendente” did not reflect their actual work. The City Council asserts that the adjustment was necessary to “standardise the categories with other police forces”.
Criticism of the “minimal effort” policy
Local blogger Manolo Pérez, in a critical article, describes Mayor Tejero's management as “the politics of minimal effort”, noting that the Government Board limits itself to approving outsourcing and extensions without providing real value. “They even award the contract for organising the decoration ceremony, as if it were the Nobel Prize ceremony,” he ironises.
Moreover, he points out that no topics from the Environment, Housing, and Beautification Area, led by Deputy Mayor Miriam Picazo, are listed on the agenda, which he interprets as a sign of disinterest or lack of work.
The controversy of public faith
An anonymous reader has reminded, through the same blog, that the minutes of the Government Board systematically omit the resolution that allows those who are not nationally qualified to give public faith. “It has been repeated for months and nothing happens here”, he complains, alluding to possible irregularities in the validity of the agreements adopted.
The City Council has not officially commented on this accusation, which could have legal implications if it were proven that the agreements lack the necessary public faith.
Meanwhile, the residents of Pozuelo are witnessing a Government Board that, in the opinion of many, “works less than Tarzan's tailor”, in the words of Manolo Pérez himself. The next ordinary session is scheduled for two weeks from now, although new urgent convocations are not ruled out.
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