Putting Lanzarote’s Social Issues First

María Jesús Tovar qualified as a social worker before entering politics, and has quickly risen to the position of Vice president of Lanzarote’s Cabildo, where she is also the councillor responsible for tax and contractual issues.

What are your duties in relation to tax?

I’m in charge of the Lanzarote Tax Network, which is an autonomous organisation that co-ordinates tax collection on the island, with the participation of municipal councils (Ayuntamientos).

The Cabildo itself doesn’t raise much tax directly. We get funds from solid waste disposal fees, certain licences and fines, but mostly it’s a matter of approving and allocating funds from other sources, which includes taxes as well as funds from central government and the EU.

What are your main projects?

The main project is the implementation of this year’s budget, which has been recently approved and will amount to €209 million.

In 2025, our budget places a priority on social issues, which is an area very close to my heart, and the water system, which is in urgent need of improvement.

There’ll be €60 million devoted to Social Welfare, and one of the main projects will be the construction of a new residence for old people in Tahiche, which is something that has been needed for a long time. Lanzarote offers the fewest places in social care of any of the Canary Islands.

And the water system?

This is very important on Lanzarote, and will involve the replacement of infrastructure at the desalination plant, as well as general maintenance and repairs all over the island.

I read that only €1.5 million had been earmarked for housing, which seems a very small amount compared to other allocations.

That’s because the Cabildo is not responsible for housing issues. They’re the responsibility of the Canarian government. The Cabildo and the Ayuntamientos can carry out actions such as donating publicly-owned land to the regional government to be developed for social housing, but it’s the Canarian Government that decide and execute policy. The Cabildo has spent €4 million on houses in Playa Blanca that are destined for social use, and has purchased plots of lands in Arrecife for €6 million that will also be developed for the same purpose.

Lanzarote has more residents and more tourists than at any time previously. Are the increasing demands on the water system, housing, social care, public transport etc reflected in the budget?

Well, it’s 10% higher than last year’s, but I’d say we’re also very well aware of the problems facing us. We have problems with the allocations we receive from the Spanish state, but that’s often the case with the regions.

You worked in Arrecife Ayuntamiento earlier. How is working at the Cabildo different?

It’s true that at the Ayuntamiento you’re working more closely to the people, and I enjoyed that very much. But here at the Cabildo I can work with all the Ayuntamientos and get a better idea of how things work.

But working with people is important, and that’s why I’m involved with the Corporate Social Responsibility strategy in the Cabildo. This carries out volunteer activities that improve the environment and strengthen social ties. Recently, for example, I was involved in gardening work at the César Manrique secondary school in Arrecife.