Ordino Parish Posts €1.6M Surplus in 2025 Budget Despite Pending €5M Deficit

Ordino parish council approved its 2025 budget settlement on Thursday, recording a €1.6 million surplus despite initial deficit projections. Officials cautioned that this figure excludes payments for completed investments, which would create around a €5 million deficit if included.

Finance and Budget Councillor Ludovic Albós attributed the surplus mainly to investments executed in 2025 that were not yet paid or recorded by year-end. He noted the parish achieved nearly 90% execution of planned investments, a solid rate despite the delayed accounting. Revenues reached €18 million against expenses of almost €16.5 million. Albós credited part of the revenue gain to a one-off rise in construction activity from previously approved projects that were paused or delayed earlier and finished last year—not from broader urban expansion.

Albós warned of tightening finances ahead, with current expenses rising and construction income expected to ease under the new urban planning scheme. Reserves built from past surpluses could deplete between 2027 and 2029, forcing reliance on ordinary revenues or borrowing for new projects. He stressed the parish's low debt after recent repayments but said any new loans would need guaranteed income streams.

Opposition councillor Enric Dolsa welcomed the outcome, calling it a precise match to budgeted plans with thorough monitoring. Cònsol Menor Eduard Betriu offered a brighter view, highlighting higher revenues than in the prior two years despite reduced construction reliance and a stricter urban framework. He pointed to transfers, spending controls, and better investment planning as keys to the balance, insisting rigorous management would prevent renewed debt. "We entered more last year than the two previous years without an urban plan. Less from construction, yet a bigger surplus. That's very positive," Betriu said.

In the same session, the council endorsed a draft law on inter-parish coordination and consultation to ensure communes are consulted by the Government or General Council on measures affecting their powers. Cònsol Maria del Mar Coma noted frequent surprise impacts from unconsulted laws. Betriu expressed optimism for General Council approval this year, given cross-parish and government consensus. Dolsa, who supported it, recalled past advocacy from 2000-2007 when proposals from cònsols were sometimes dismissed without formalized channels.

Separately, the council declared a national tender for a forest biomass storage facility in El Serrat void due to insufficient bidder interest. It approved revising tender terms to ease requirements and boost participation in a fresh call.