The document includes Gandia among the 45 municipalities with the lowest social investment nationwide, with an expenditure of 48.84 euros per inhabitant. This figure is well below the minimum threshold of 63.89 euros and far from the national average of 106.48 euros for municipalities with more than 20,000 inhabitants. Furthermore, the city is listed as a “recurrent” municipality, as this situation has been repeated in previous years.
“"It is inadmissible. Gandia is among the municipalities with the worst social investment in Spain."
Councilor Silvia Riera added that the data “shows that Gandia is investing less than half of what it should allocate to assist those most in need.” She also denounced staff shortages, citing as an example that “the social worker in Grau is on leave and has not been properly replaced.”
For his part, Soler highlighted that the local government dedicates only 4% of its budget to social services, far from the national 10%, and warned that “it is not just about how much is spent, but about the political priority given to people.” He added that “nearly 30% of the population is at risk of social exclusion and more than 4,000 children live below the poverty line.” Additionally, he accused the mayor, José Manuel Prieto, of “abandoning social services to focus on his image and electoral campaign, with expenses of up to 62,000 euros for photographers and 17,000 euros for his official car.”
“"That report only considers direct aid and does not evaluate the transversal strategy of the Government of Gandia. It is impossible to quantify the real investment if this global perspective is not taken into account."
Councilor Inma Rodríguez defended the municipal model, which she defines as “transversal,” emphasizing that it involves areas such as Health, Housing, and Education. She highlighted that the department has nearly 70 professionals, a budget of 1.4 million euros, and 230 public housing units, in addition to social programs and direct aid totaling 700,000 euros. She also emphasized collaboration with social entities such as Red Cross, Franciscans, and Caritas, assuring that many of these actions “are not reflected in that report, despite their real impact on people's lives.”
Finally, Rodríguez criticized the PP's stance, stating that “neither Soler nor anyone from the PP can criticize Social Services while voting against the Program Contract, which is what provides us with staff to offer aid.”
