A thousand people protest in Vélez-Málaga against new rubbish collection charge: ‘It’s unjust’

The organisers put the turnout at around 2,000 people, while police sources consulted by SUR estimated attendance at around a thousand. The protest, which took place between 8 and 9pm, took place without incident.

“No to the tax!”, “It’s unfair!”, “Lower taxes, cleaner streets”, “Vélez says no to the rubbish tax hike” and “Mayor, resign!” were some of the slogans chanted during a protest in which local residents, self-employed people, shopkeepers and representatives of various groups called on the town hall to make changes to the way the tax is applied. Among the main demands are correcting the errors detected in numerous bills and offsetting the new levy with a reduction in the property tax (IBI) rate.

The demonstration was attended by representatives from various localities across the extensive municipal area. Among those who spoke were Juan Ramón Ibargüengoitia, spokesperson for the ‘Abandonados' group and the Cerroymar-Las Chorreras association in Lagos, Olga Rodríguez, from the Benajarafe and Chilches citizens' group and Scilla Tamburini, spokesperson for the newly formed 'Plataforma Ciudadana Término Municipal de Vélez-Málaga en contra de la Tasa de Basura' (Vélez-Málaga municipal area ctizens’ platform against the rubbish collection charge).

This latest organisation was set up precisely in response to the introduction of the new bill and already had more than 200 members when it was launched at the end of September. The group describes itself as ‘open, diverse, independent and peaceful’ and does not question the legal obligation to specifically fund waste management, but rather the way in which the charge has been structured and applied in Vélez-Málaga, particularly in certain cases involving self-employed people and small business owners.

Tamburini has explained her situation: she has received an invoice for 102 euros for her work as a dietitian and another for 225 euros as a Pilates instructor, despite not having, as she explained, her own premises for these activities. “It is not a question of ideology,” said the spokesperson, who emphasised that the platform aims to keep the campaign strictly within the realm of civic engagement. Rodríguez has also called for the invoices issued to be reviewed, while Ibargüengoitia has called for the property tax rate to be reduced to offset the new charge.

The protest was also attended by the main representatives of the municipal opposition: José Pino, from the Andalucía por Sí political party, Víctor González from the PSOE, Javier Herreros from Vox and the independent councillor Elías García. Pino, one of the political driving forces behind the protest, warned that “the introduction of this rubbish collection charge is proving very painful” for families and businesses and once again argued that the new charge should be offset fiscally by a reduction in the property tax rate.

The PSOE spokesperson, Víctor González, has highlighted the large-scale public mobilisation that took place on Wednesday to put a stop to ‘double taxation’. "Let’s put an end to double taxation, to a tax by-law that is resulting in excessive bills," he stated. The PSOE has taken the new tax to court and has been arguing since 2024 that the impact of the tax should be offset by a proportional reduction in property tax (IBI).

Vox has also backed the protest and spokesperson, Javier Herreros, has described the new charge as an “exorbitant tax” and is calling for its impact to be offset by a reduction in property tax bills. Elías García has also sided with the rest of the opposition in the votes held so far to call for the suspension of the procedure and demand changes to municipal taxation.

The protest came just two weeks after councillors rejected, on 22 September, the proposal by Andalucía por Sí to suspend the collection of the rubbish tax. The ruling PP and GIPMTM parties used their majority to vote against the suspension, while the PSOE, Vox, Andalucía por Sí and García supported it. A few weeks earlier, on 31 August, protests by the public had even forced the interruption and eventual early adjournment of that day's full council meeting.

The town hall maintains that the introduction of a specific waste charge is in compliance with State Law 7/2022. Article 11 of this Act stipulates that local authorities must have a "specific, differentiated and self-financing" charge or levy that reflects the actual cost, whether direct or indirect, of the collection, transport and treatment of waste. The state legislation sets out this general obligation, although the specific structure of the charges is subsequently determined by each local authority through its own by-laws.

One of the main points of contention remains the IBI. Opposition groups argue that the new levy should be accompanied by a reduction in this tax, while the town hall has argued that the two tax measures are different and that the Adjustment Plan has restricted its ability to reduce the rate. The PP and GIPMTM-led council even announced in March 2025 that it intended to lower the property tax rate from 0.64 to 0.62, a measure that ultimately did not materialise as announced.

The town hall has, in fact, implemented various measures over the past few weeks to address the errors reported by taxpayers. At the end of August, it announced a review, in conjunction with the provincial tax collection office of cases relating to possible duplications, discrepancies in the square metres attributed to premises, and other issues. The mayor, Jesús Lupiáñez (PP), subsequently met with business associations, traders and municipal officials to examine in particular the cases of self-employed individuals and businesses with multiple declared economic activities.

The town hall also maintains a specific appeals procedure for the self-employed, businesses and private individuals who identify errors or discrepancies. Claims may be submitted to the provincial tax office or via the dedicated office set up at the town's wholesale market, as well as online, and the town hall states that each case will be examined individually.

The town hall also points out that the by-law provides for social concessions. According to figures released by the treasury, there are reductions of 50 per cent for large families and of up to 95 per cent for certain vulnerable households. The toown hall has estimated that around 1,051 households could qualify for the maximum reduction and some 350 for the concession provided for large families. These concessions amount to around 126,000 euros a year, according to the opposition.

The tax came into force on 1 January this year. For residential properties, municipal estimates put standard annual bills at between 101.86 and 135.54 euros, comprising a fixed component of 62.66 euros and a variable component based on various parameters, while for commercial premises, factors such as floor area and the type of business are taken into account. The local authority’s projected revenue stands at around 7.2 million euros per year.

Wednesday’s protest now marks the start of a new chapter in a dispute that has been ongoing since the summer and has gradually drawn in neighbourhood associations, shopkeepers and campaign groups from across the municipality. The newly formed citizens’ group has announced that it will continue to advise those affected on how to lodge complaints and to call for changes to the by-law. The town hall is for the time being maintaining the collection and individual review of the disputed bills. With Plaza Las Carmelitas filled with protesters, the pressure on the local government now shifts to the debate on the 2027 tax by-laws.

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