Cambiemos challenges New York tourism trip as Orihuela government denies paying expenses

Cambiemos Orihuela has questioned the cost and official nature of a New York trip by the Vox tourism councillor and his adviser, while the municipal government defends the official programme and denies having reimbursed their expenses.

The dispute pits the opposition’s demand for the return of more than €3,000 against the government’s response that a sum which has not yet been received cannot be paid back.

Opposition distinguishes festival support from expenses

Cambiemos spokesperson Leticia Pertegal supports the council’s backing for Orihuela’s Moors and Christians in New York, but rejects the idea that accompanying them is sufficient in itself to justify paying public officials’ travel costs and allowances.

Her group says there is no record of meetings or activities proper to an official delegation and considers the ceremonial encounter held at La Nacional insufficient to justify the presence of the councillor and his adviser.

Cambiemos calls for responsible use of public money and wants the council to apply stricter criteria when considering allowances for councillors and advisers attending activities outside the municipality.

The group argues that not all such activities are directly related to their official duties and calls for repayment of the more than €3,000 it attributes to the trip.

Government says reimbursement still requires assessment

In its response, Orihuela’s government insists there was an official programme, including attendance at a reception organised by the Spanish Association in New York and a meeting with the president of the Council of Spanish Residents in that city.

It also says the Tourism department commissioned video coverage of the event to obtain audiovisual material for producing resources to promote Orihuela as a visitor destination.

On the travel expenses, the response states that these were paid out of their own pockets and the receipts were submitted to the Human Resources department to assess whether any should be covered.

The government says that assessment must follow the applicable criteria and procedures, maintaining that no municipal payment has been received under this heading, in response to Cambiemos’s demand for repayment.