"I understand that the Administration's 'tempo' frustrates people"

CitadelShe is the third mayor of Ciutadella in this term and the fifth woman to occupy the mayor's office since the beginning of democracy. A protégé of current Member of Parliament Joana Gomila (Más por Menorca), with whom she entered the City Council in 2019, Maria Jesús Bagur (1979) takes on the challenge of completing the changes that will transform the city over the next decade.

The renovation of Plaça del Born, the new health center, the bus station, the music school, the new nursing home, the expansion of the industrial park, the General Plan, and the first underground parking garage in the city's history are all in his office, awaiting the completion of a complex and lengthy process, for which he asks for understanding. "I understand that, from the outside, it's difficult to understand why things are moving so slowly, but we are taking all the necessary steps," he announces. He adds: "The tempos The administration's processes are so long that it's normal for citizens to feel frustrated, but it's important to combat political disaffection and prevent impatience from pushing people not to vote."

María Jesús Bagur's role models have been her parents, involved in social and neighborhood organizations since she was very young. And he was the first councilor to represent the nascent Socialist Party of Menorca (PSM) in the democratically elected City Council in 1979. More than enough time to understand that her family's absences will become increasingly frequent.

First actions

In her first month as mayor, she has already had time to address urgent matters such as the eviction of the OAR municipal building, which has forced the closure of the ground floor bar and the eviction of COPE and the entities that used it, "at least until the structure has been consolidated and a reform process is in place" to determine its viability.

She has also encountered, for the first time, the "political games" of the PP government in the Island Council, which was quick to accuse the new Ciutadella municipal government of "wanting to block" the new bus station project that the city has been waiting for for over a quarter of a century. "We're not throwing a wrench in the works, we're not withdrawing, and we're not stopping anything. We're simply fighting for the interests of the citizens and defending what's best for the town," the mayor concluded.

The conflict is once again explained by the slowness of the administration. When the two institutions met in February of last year, it was discovered that the land where the station is to be built is located in a flood zone, which prompted the necessary consultation with the Water Resources Department. The report, expected within a month, took almost ten months to arrive, and for this reason, there was no further meeting with the Consell until last December, "when they finally gave us the preliminary project." It was during the review process that the municipal technicians realized the space was insufficient to guarantee access and maneuverability for the buses. This is why, the mayor explains, discussions and procedures have begun to acquire other land adjacent to the municipal property, in order to cede enough space to the Consell to carry out the works. The framework agreement for collaboration between the two administrations has also just arrived at the City Hall. "We have always been transparent, and we will always maintain a cordial relationship. We don't want conflicts, we want solutions. We need the Consell, and they need us, and there's no other option but to work together."

The left-wing government formed by the PSOE, PSM-Més per Menorca, and Ciutadella Adelante, which it now leads, dared last July, eight months ago, to remove cars from Plaça del Born and finally take the step that governments of different political stripes had been promising for decades. But the necessary renovation that will consolidate this emblematic space is still far from being carried out. The first step is the signing of an agreement with the College of Architects to launch an ideas competition to develop its final proposal, but disagreement on technical matters is delaying a solution. Meanwhile, the municipal government is ruling out any temporary measures to improve its aesthetics and functionality during these years of [unclear - possibly "the renovation" or "the renovation"].impasse, Because "investing so much only to have to undo it later isn't very advisable, when there are still other buildings and priorities that require our attention," Bagur explains. The important thing, he emphasizes, "is that we've managed to transform the square into a community space and put an end to the traffic chaos that plagued it every summer. However," he adds, "we know that the construction work won't be easy; it will take time and cause problems. But it will surely be worth enduring that inconvenience."

The City Council wants to follow the example of the new Music School in this case. Three years ago, in collaboration with the College of Architects, they launched a design competition. The final plans are still being drawn up, although the mayor intends to have construction about to begin by the end of her term. New nursing home places in the municipality will have to wait longer. The governing team has decided against expanding the current residence and is processing the transfer of land to the Balearic Government in the Son Blanc area for the construction of a new one. "We know the waiting list is growing daily, as is the number of elderly people who need care, but we're not standing still. Everything is progressing," she says. The new General Plan is also still under review, even though its revision began almost ten years ago, in 2016. Insufficient water to meet the anticipated population increase has stalled planning for years. Now, the solution involves connecting the desalination plant to the Caragolí municipal reservoir, a project already being processed by the Ministry of the Sea and included in the General Plan to secure approval from the Water Resources Department.

Rate Review

An imminent review of fees, such as the manure tax, has also been announced to increase the revenue the City Council needs to offset the actual cost of services and pay its staff more, a result of the Job Classification Reclassification (RPT) and the professional development program. Fortunately, however, there are more welcome initiatives that don't require such a long wait and which María Jesús Bagur is confident she can accomplish in her short year and a half as mayor. This is the case with the reopening of the Civil War tunnel, "which not only has heritage value, but is also a memorial space that reminds us what happens when our heritage is violated and silence prevails. Society only progresses when it learns from the past, and with this, Ciutadella will be able to look to the past and transform it into a collective learning experience for the future."

She will also do so in the coming weeks with the cyclist Albert Torres, who will have the municipal sports center named after him, and with the late Joan Francesc López Casasnovas, professor, former member of parliament, former regional minister, and champion of the Catalan language, who will soon have a permanent memorial in the public library.

Many challenges lie ahead, but the unity of the left-wing coalition is now consolidated after the frustrating start to the term, which gave the PP the first year of government and required a vote of no confidence to "restore democratic normality" to the council. "The PP keeps repeating a mantra as if we had committed an illegal act when, in reality, we have simply carried out the democratic mandate of the ballot box," the mayor points out. Twenty months of governing together have convinced her that "now we truly are a team. Communication has always been fluid, and I haven't needed to be brought up to speed because the three spokespeople have always been kept informed of everything." So, at least, there will be internal peace, and no change of mayor, until the elections.