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Alcaraz steps down as councillor citing incompatibility with position as local delegate of Govern

alcaraz dimiteix 1This morning at the seat of the local administration, a special one-off session of the Formentera Council was held, intended initially as a forum for the vote on the conditions set by the Govern Balear concerning the transfer of authority in tourism promotions. In the end, the session was additionally marked by the notice of resignation presented by José Manuel Alcaraz, spokesman of the Partido Popular.

Alcaraz submitted his resignation just moments before the start of the day's plenary session, citing as his motive the clarification, delivered 6 May by the Consell Consultiu, of a ruling (numbered 29/2015) issued by that same board 26 March 2015. The March verdict of the Consell had expressed disagreement with the Formentera Council, ruling that the administration's interpretation of a text known as 'el règim d'incompatibilitat' was in fact—and contrary to the belief held previously by the CiF—only applicable to ajuntaments (town councils) and not consells insulars (island councils).

In the words of the Consell Consultiu, “the unique situation of the local Formentera administration does not entail its members' inclusion in a separate regime”. The committee ruled that, although the Formentera Council does not include positions of 'executive councillors' within the administration, “the règim general d'incompatibilitats of the island councils is still applicable, as with the councils of Mallorca, Menorca and Eivissa”.

The règim d'incompatibilitats applied to island councils is different from that of normal town councils. Though the duties of regidor (town councillor) may be compatible and indeed combined with those of an executive official at the level of the regional autonomous government, the duties of conseller (island councillor) are themselves incompatible with such an instance of simultaneous posts. Faced with that situation, Alcaraz was obliged to choose between the two functions, and presented his resignation as island councillor. At the start of the session, the Govern's Formentera delegate vacated his seat among plenary participants in favour of the benches reserved for public seating.

The Consell Consultiu ruling followed a petition launched at the end of 2014 by the legal services of the Formentera Council with an end toward readying the declaration of incompatibility forms which accompanied the end of the legislative session. The fact that the clarification of the board's decision came 6 May—after the final ordinary plenary session, 27 April—rendered necessary the treatment of the matter today.

Rejection of tourism promotions finance proposal

Concerning the proposal of funding for tourism promotions, Alejandra Ferrer defended the rejection of the measure by the coalition government (GxF and Partido Socialista), as well as the GUIF, on the grounds that it was “unfair and insufficient”. Councillor Ferrer also reminded Juan Manuel Costa of his own recent rejection of the funding proposal, which he had voiced “not only as a member of the Partido Popular, but as a member of our island's community of businesses”. In the end, the Partido Popular opted to abstain from voting on the issue.