A detailed look into the preliminary draft of the 2027 Torrevieja municipal budget reveals that behind the frozen direct taxes lies a significant surge in projected income from traffic fines, towing charges, and administrative penalties. Mayor Eduardo Dolón and finance councillor Domingo Paredes presented the record-breaking municipal accounts exceeding 200 million euro in both revenue and expenditure, marking a 6.64% increase on 2026.
While the PP-led administration emphasised that local tax burdens such as property tax (IBI) will not increase by a single euro, revenues collected through public fees and sanctions tell a different story. Torrevieja City Council expects total collection from fines and towing services to surge past 52% compared to 2026, reaching 2.3 million euro. Revenue from vehicle towing alone is estimated at 748,165 euro, a staggering 164.24% leap from the 283,136 euro allocated in 2026. This comes despite Torrevieja having some of the lowest towing charges in the province at barely over fifty euro per retrieval.
Traffic fines are also set to rise sharply from 1.24 million euro to 1.56 million euro, up 26.17%. Officials attribute this climb to the performance of previous years, where collections surpassed expectations. The roll-out of fixed speed cameras across major thoroughfares like Avenida de las Cortes Valencianas, Alfredo Nobel, Desiderio Rodríguez, and Gregorio Marañón has boosted sanction numbers and amounts, with common speeding fines ranging from 200 euro to 400 euro. Furthermore, twenty dedicated traffic officers are actively patrolling central Torrevieja, penalising illegal parking.
Plans to introduce regulated blue-zone parking (ORA) are also detailed in the 2027 budget draft, including an annual fee income of just over 90,000 euro from the operating concessionaire. However, the system’s launch is expected to be delayed until after the May 2027 municipal elections.
Beyond road traffic, general administrative penalties are projected to shoot up by 308% from 42,790 euro to 174,746 euro, boosted by enhanced police resources and strict enforcement managed by the Suma tax collection agency. Urban planning fines are forecast to rise by 24.44% to 382,598 euro, while urban planning permit fees will increase 25.47% to 1.16 million euro due to expanding construction activity.
Other public spaces income shows mixed trends: street vendor stall revenue is forecast to rise 50.39% to 120,716 euro, driveway permits grow 9.85% to 830,789 euro, and ATM fees rise 53.99% to just over 50,000 euro. Conversely, terrace space fees for tables and chairs drop 22.93% to 1.02 million euro, while weekly market income drops slightly by 0.77%.
On corporate dividends, Torrevieja City Council expects 680,609 euro from its 26% share in local water provider Agamed, representing a 7.07% rise over the 635,681 euro received in 2025. Main shareholder Veolia, which holds 74%, expects to earn 2,617,726 euro managing water supply for 130,000 local customers.
Construction tax (ICIO) represents one of the largest revenue jumps, rising 42.75% from 5.85 million euro to 8.35 million euro through stricter collection checks with Suma. Total indirect taxes will reach 12.1 million euro, up 37.48%. Direct taxes remain flat at 61.33 million euro, with IBI slightly falling by 0.54% to 34.46 million euro. Lastly, garbage collection fees will generate 15.72 million euro, an increase of 6.62% or almost 976,500 euro, attributed to an expanding housing stock.