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Wednesday, November 29, 2006

Padron

This year I have held lectures about the “padrón municipal” in 10 different municipalities, arranged by the “Diputación Provincial de Alicante”. The reasons why the authorities try to get as many foreigners as possible to register in this municipal list of habitants, are double:

- the subsidies that the town halls get from the government for each person enrolling, every year, and
- the European citizens on the padron will also be on the list of electors for the municipal elections at the end of May next year.

In many municipalities along the coast and on the islands, the Europeans have become a formidable force. They constitute a great part of the population, in some places even the majority. They can decide the outcome of the local elections in several municipalities. In certain provinces they may influence the leadership in the provincial assemblies of municipalities, the “diputaciones provinciales”.

If you have not yet registered on the “padron” of your town hall, December is the last chance to do so, if you intend to be on the list of electors. Even if the time limit has been extended several times, it will be difficult to enter after the year 2006 is ended, since the electors list will be published in the beginning of 2007.
Registration in the padron does not give you any additional tax obligations, contrary to the belief among many foreign owners and residents. And yes, you can also enter the list even if you are not resident. A non-resident owner (or lessee) of a permanent dwelling, spending a great part of the time in the municipality, belongs on the list.