Antigua approves record‑high budget of €21.755 million

The 2026 Municipal Budget includes a new Road‑Cleaning Contract, municipal facilities, and waste collection worth €2.89 million.

The City Council of Antigua, in an extraordinary plenary session chaired by Mayor Matías Peña García on Friday, March 27, unanimously approved the 2026 municipal budget amounting to €21,754,537.03. This represents an increase of more than €1 million compared with the previous fiscal year, making it the highest budget ever recorded for the municipality.

“A balanced budget,” the municipal auditor reported during the session, “aims to improve services for citizens, ensure financial sustainability, and meet the objectives of budgetary stability and public debt management,” the council affirmed.

Key Investments

The 2026 budget allocates €2.9 million for the ambitious and necessary hiring of a new Road‑Cleaning Service, public facilities maintenance, and waste collection. This initial amount is part of a four‑year tender totaling €15.5 million.

“The 2026 municipal budgets increase by more than €1 million without raising municipal taxes or fees, while maintaining free access to all municipal sports schools, the EMMA music school, training workshops, and any events or concerts organized by the Antigua City Council. The budget also boosts subsidies for Social Services, Sports, and Agriculture, Livestock, and Fisheries, and earmarks €127,000 for drafting the Historical Heritage Catalogue,” the press release explained.

Mayor’s Statement

Mayor Matías Peña García announced:

“Within the framework of the specific measure adopted by the State to encourage investment activity by municipalities with a sound economy—such as Antigua—we can invest the €5 million surplus generated in 2024 over this year and the next. Accordingly, I have proposed three investment objectives for the remaining funds, which have been accepted by all councilors: Parks and Gardens, Road Paving, and Renovation of the Antigua Sports Pavilion.”

These initiatives aim to enhance public infrastructure, promote community well‑being, and sustain the municipality’s financial health.