José Carlos Martín, current first deputy mayor of the Town Hall, defines himself as a candidate with a profile that is “more technical than political” and with the endorsement of eight years’s management in the Town Hall in which he has demonstrated “the value” of his word. 

Mijas Weekly. You have experience in municipal management, including during stages such as the pandemic.

José Carlos Martín. We have been managing the Town Hall for eight years and we have had the experience of running a local administration during a health and social crisis. Mijas is a complicated municipality, we have 150 square kilometres, mountains, sea, golf courses and three towns to attend to, three fairs, three parades... It is not just a disadvantage when it comes to management, there are also advantages. Being such an important municipality, having so much wealth and being in the heart of the Costa del Sol makes us an important tourist attraction. 

M.W. In the run up to 28M you have counted on the current councillors of the party and, asyou have stated, with qualified people. 

J.C.M. We have a mixture of some people with experience and others that are younger. They have training and experience and this is transferred to the management. 

M.W. For this mandate you signed a programmatic agreement with the PSOE, what has been carried out? 

J.C.M. We have an important degree of compliance, but the two years of the pandemic have meant the administrative paralysis of many projects. We have had to prioritise citizen’s needs. Aid to those in need, to the self-employed and SMEs, and to companies in the tourism sector and golf courses; Basic Income has also been key for the social reintegration of some people. We had included improvements in infrastructures, such as the swimming pool in La Cala, the Grand Park which is going to be started, social commitments.... I think we will be at around 80% fulfilment.

M.W. For these elections, you have proposed a direct payment of 250 euros to all those who are registered on the municipal census.

J.C.M. It is time. We have helped the business fabric with the OREA and Cometha plans, which amounted to 22 million euros. We are suffering the after-effects of the pandemic, with a social crisis, rising electricity prices, rising shopping costs, rising housing prices. We have economic capacity and a surplus of 114 million at the end of 2022. 

M.W. Has this figure been studied? 

J.M.C. It is 250 euros and 93,000 registered residents, some 24 million would be allocated. 

M.W. In your programme you also highlight access to housing.

J.C.M. Yes, it has become a social problem. We are not going to solve it because it would require legislative consensus. Locally, we propose rental housing, with a project and a call for tenders... In the meantime, our proposal is to directly help young people and families with 400 euros a month. We have made a calculation, with 5 and a half million euros a year we will be able to help a thousand families and at the same time we will be building 550 rental homes. In La Cala, at the end of Avenida Mare Nostrum, there would be 310 homes, and the others would be located in Las Lagunas in the area of the hypothetical hospital. They represent an investment of 5 and a half million euros. 

M.W. Cs proposes a new purpose for the racecourse plot. 

J.C.M. Complementing the sports facilities with the university campus would make the site sustainable and put Mijas on the educational map; even internationally. 

M.W. The Grand Park is already taking shape... 

J.C.M. We have spent seven years dealing with a lot of paperwork: we had to draw up sectorial reports and resolve the flooding and we discovered the Acebedo site when the geotechnical work began. In short, the works are about to begin, the contract has already been signed. This park in the heart of Las Lagunas is going to be a tourist attraction, a place of coexistence. There is some criticism from certain political parties, but because we are in the campaign, in ‘petit comité’ they agree.

M.W. You have also spoken about the councillor’s wages.

J.C.M. In this mandate there have been wages for all members of the opposition who were not exclusively dedicated and which has allowed them to carry on working simultaneously in their own posts. We propose the naming of a spokesperson in each group to work exclusively. The rest will just attend the plenary sessions.

M.W. What is going to happen with the hospital and residence? 

J.C.M. We can do no more. We have put land at the disposal of the Junta for the residence and the hospital and proposed co-financing, but the one who has to provide the hospital with doctors is the Regional Government (Junta). We will have a hospital but only in the medium to long term. 

M.W. Cs made a pact with the PP; in 2019, with the PSOE. Would you  pact now?  

J.C.M. First we will see what the citizens decide, whether a coalition government or not. We will make a pact with whoever fulfils the majority of our programme. With both the PP and the PSOE we have focused on working for the citizens. But it is true that in these four years I have had more empathy with the PSOE than I could have had with the PP government.

M.W. In this campaign you have chosen not to hold rallies. 

J.C.M. We have gone for a more modern campaign, more up-to-date, closer to the citizens. We are receiving very good feedback. Our proposals are getting through, as real, credible, and we are backed by our management over these last eight years.

M.W. What do you forecast for 28M?

J.C.M. We are going out to win, competing head to head with the PP and the PSOE. A few months ago it seemed that the Cs brand was punishing us, but at local level the forces are levelling. Neither the PSOE no the PP are doing well.

M.W. There has been talk of re-founding Cs. We recall that Maldonado left the party.

J.C.M. Maldonado left before he was expelled. Cs has changed its statutes. We are still the same, others, like Maldonado, have changed. What citizens value is the reliability and credibility of each of us.

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