(Translated from Xabia al Dia Magazine - June 8th 2006 by Huw Griffith)
A consensual document has been presented by the mixed commission in charge of the Catastrazo that reduces the cadastral values (rateable values) by between 20 and 50%
The socialist spokesman and councillor for Urbanism, Rafa Bas, announced today at noon the good news that the problem of the Catastrazo will surely soon be resolved. The mixed Commission (City council-cadastre) created specifically to solve the problem of the Catastrazo - the report of cadastral values that caused the large demonstration last October - has produced a document which proposes to the General Directorate of the Cadastre discounts in the cadastral values compared to the report that was presented in 2005 (Catastrazo).
The agreement reached, according to Bas, is more far-reaching and involves much more significant discounts than those put forward in principle by the Town Council. True, the new report will not be revoked, but rather a discount will be applied, by areas, of between 20% and 50%, compared to the values proposed in 2005.
The socialist spokesman wished to make it clear that this document is not still approved definitively. Tomorrow (Friday), the Director General of the Cadastral will give the definitive yes. Also, the spokesmen of the municipal parties hold the document available for your inspection. Once approved by the Director General of the Cadastral, the document will be approved in full council by majority, so that it can be validated. If all the steps are completed, the Town council will go on to remove the cases entered on the Cadastre, and then proceed to the application of the new cadastral values.
Finally, Rafa Bas wanted to thank his party, and in particular, to the central Government, which has helped in every possible way to find a solution to the Catastrazo.
It should be remembered that Catastrazo is what we ended up calling the report of cadastral values presented to the Town council in 2005, after this was rejected unanimously by the full Council, and when this resolution was not communicated to the General Director of the Cadastre. Very much to the contrary, the then mayor, Juan Moragues, was accused of having sent a favourable report to the Director. The report of values was considered unfair since the cadastral values suffered considerable increases, in some cases up to 300%. This situation ended in a large demonstration and a later political crisis that is credited with leading to the censorship motion that overthrew the then mayor.
