The City Council of Valencia (, ), is the institution that is responsible for governing the city and municipality of Valencia (Spain). It is called in or . It is presided over by the mayor of Valencia, who since 1979 has been democratically elected by universal suffrage. Since 2023, the position is held by María José Catalá, of the People's Party. The institution is located and holds formal meetings in the Valencia City Hall or in and in . The building is also often called the Ayuntamiento by metonymy.
Operation The City Council is the group of political representation of citizens in the municipal government. It directly assumes the representation of the community and determines actions on the issues confronting the city.
The councilors of the City of Valencia are chosen by universal suffrage in elections held every four years. The D'Hondt system is the mathematical algorithm used in Spain to distribute the councilors of the city councils in proportion to the votes obtained by each candidacy.
History
Since the recovery of democracy in Spain, nine municipal elections have been held, and the city has been governed by three political parties, the PSOE, the PP and Compromís.en ES From the first municipal elections in 1979 until 1991, the PSOE governed the city. During these years there were three mayors, Fernando Martínez Castellano (1979), Ricard Pérez Casado (1979-1988), and Clementina Ródenas Villena (1988-1991). While from 1991 to 2015, the PP has governed the city under the leadership of mayor Rita Barberá Nolla. From the elections of May 2015 and until the elections of 2023, Joan Ribó of Compromís held the mayor's office, with the support of the PSPV in the two legislatures of his mandate and València en Comúin ES during the first. Since the municipal elections of May 2023, María José Catalá of the People's Party of the Valencian Community is the mayor of the city but avoided a formal coalition with Vox, opting for governing in minority with specific pacts.
Investiture agreements or government coalitions
Since 1979, the political parties represented in the City Council have reached six occasions to form government through coalition when none of them reached an absolute majority of seats located in 17 councilors. The parties that agreed to obtain the government of the city after the elections and the number of representatives they added is indicated in the following table:
Mandate Parties Councilors1979-1983PSOE+PCPV1987-1991PSOE+IU/UPV1995-1999PP+UV2015-2019Compromís+PSPV-PSOE+VeC2019-2023Compromís+PSPV|PSPV-PSOE2023-2027PP+Vox
Mayoralty or Alcaldía
After the 1979 Spanish local elections, the Ayuntamiento of Valencia was led by these mayors:
MayorStart of TermEnd of TermPolitical PartyFor mayors from 1840 to 1979 see this list.Fernando Martínez Castellano19791979PSPV-PSOERicard Pérez Casado19791988Clementina Ródenas Villena19881991Rita Barberá Nolla19912015Partido PopularJoan Ribó i Canut2015 2023Compromísin ESMaría José Catalá Verdet2023 En el cargoPartido Popular
Composition of the Ayuntamiento
Council of the Ayuntamiento
For the City Council of 2023-2027, The municipal corporation is made up of 33 councilors.
Political PartyCouncilor PortfolioMaría José Catalá Verdet MayorMaría José Ferrer San Segundoin ESFirst Deputy MayorJulia Climent MonzóThird Deputy MayorJuan Manuel Giner CorellFourth Deputy MayorJuan Carlos Caballero Montañésin ESCouncilor and Spokesperson for the Ayuntamiento and the Municipal PPPaula María Llobet VilarrasaFifth Deputy MayorSantiago Ballester CasabuenaSixth Deputy MayorJesús Carbonell AguilarSeventh Deputy MayorJosé Marí OlanoCouncilorJosé Luis Moreno MaicasCouncilorCarlos Luis Mundina GómezCouncilorMarta Torrado de CastroCouncilorMaría del Rocío Gil UncioCouncilorCarmen Luisa (Papi) Robles GalindoCouncilor and Municipal Spokesperson for CompromísGloria Amparo Tello CompanyCouncilorPere Sixte Fuset i Tortosain ESCouncilorSergi Campillo FernándezCouncilorLucía Beamud VillanuevaConcCouncilorejalaGiuseppe Grezziin ESCouncilorFerran Puchades VilaCouncilorEva Coscollà GrauCouncilorLluïsa Notario VillanuevaCouncilorBorja Jesús Sanjuán RocaCouncilor and Municipal Spokesperson for PSPV-PSOEMaría Teresa Ibáñez GiménezCouncilorNuria Llopis BorregoCouncilorJavier Ismael Mateo GarcíaCouncilorElisa Valía CotandaCouncilorDolors LópezCouncilorBorja Santamaría HerreroCouncilorJuan Manuel Bádenas CarpioSecond Deputy Mayor and Municipal Spokesperson for VoxJosé Vicente Gosálbez PayáCouncilorMónica Gil CanoCouncilorCecilia Carmen Herrero CamilleriCouncilor
Elected Councilors who have left office Councilor Party Date Resigned Replaced by Inauguration Joan Ribó Canut Compromís:Acord per Guanyar 27 March 2024 Lluïsa Notario Villanueva 30 April 2024 Sandra Gómez López PSPV-PSOE 12 July 2024 Borja Santamaría Herrero 23 July 2024
Local Government Board The Local Government Board is a group that collaborates with the mayor on the executive and administrative functions of the city government. As president of the Local Government Board, the mayor appoints the other members, whose number cannot exceed 11, not including the president, which is one third of the 33 seats on the City Council. For the 2023-2027 legislature, the Local Government Board includes two members of Vox as part of the alliance.
MemberPartyPrimary PortfolioMaría José Catalá Verdet Mayor-PresidentMaría José Ferrer San SegundoFirst Deputy MayorJuan Manuel Bádenas CarpioSecond Deputy MayorJulia Climent Monzó Third Deputy MayorJuan Manuel Giner CorellFourth Deputy MayorJuan Carlos Caballero MontañésSpokesperson for the City CouncilJosé Marí OlanoCouncilorJosé Luis Moreno MaicasCouncilorPaula María Llobet VilarrasaFifth Deputy MayorSantiago Ballester CasabuenaSixth Deputy MayorJesús Carbonell AguilarSeventh Deputy MayorCecilia Carmen Herrero CamilleriCouncilor
Government Departments The different powers exercised by the City Council can be grouped into various areas of government according to their theme and similarity of function as determined by the mayor. Each department has a deputy mayor or councilor to direct, plan, coordinate, and define the political objectives. In addition, each department leaders will have councilors delegated to direct the activity of the department. For the 2023-2027 legislature, the Valencia City Council is composed of the mayor's area and 11 other areas of government with the following delegated departments:
DepartmentLeadersPartyDelegacion AlcaldíaMaría José Catalá VerdetPPMayorJuan Carlos Caballero MontañésPPInstitutional Relations and relations with other administrations. Press and Media. Spokesperson for the Municipal Government.José Marí OlanoPPLarge ProjectsPaula María Llobet VilarrasaPPTurism. Innovation, Technology, Digital Agenda, and Attracting Investments Finance and ParticipationMaría José Ferrer San SegundoPPFinance and Taxes. City Districts, Participation, and Neighborhood Action.Juan Carlos Caballero MontañésPPTransparency, Information and Advocacy Employment, Entrepreneurship, and Training.Juan Manuel Bádenas CarpioVoxEmployment and TrainingCecilia Carmen Herrero CamilleriVoxEntrepreneurship Heritage. Human and Technical ResourcesJulia Climent MonzóPPHuman Resources. Central Technical Services. Hiring.José Marí OlanoPPPatrimony. Administrative Controls. Security and MobilityJesús Carbonell AguilarPPCity Police. Transportation. Public Spaces.Juan Carlos Caballero MontañésPPFire Department. Civil Protection.Santiago Ballester CasabuenaPPCommerce and MarketsUrban Planning, Housing, and LicensingJuan Manuel Giner CorellPPHousing. Management of Construction and Infrastructure Maintenance. Urban Planning and Management. Licensing and Permitting. Parks, Gardens, and Natural SpacesJuan Manuel Bádenas CarpioVoxParks and GardensJosé Vicente Gosálbez PayáVoxSaler Forest.in ES Albufera Natural ParkMónica Gil CanoVoxBeachesCecilia Carmen Herrero CamilleriVoxAgricultureResiduos, mejora climática y gestión del aguaCarlos Luis Mundina GómezPPCleaning and Waste Management. Integral Water Cycle. Climate, Acoustic, and Energy Efficiency Improvement. Cemeteries and Funeral Services. Family, Seniors and Traditions.Mónica Gil CanoVoxFamily, Youth and Childhood. Festivals and Traditions.José Vicente Gosálbez PayáVoxSenior Citizens. Health and Consumption. Social Welfare.Marta Torrado de CastroPPSocial Services.María del Rocío Gil UncioPPEquality Cultura, educación, deportes y FallasJose Luis Moreno MaicasPPCultural action, heritage and cultural resources.María del Rocío Gil UncioPPEducation. Sports.Santiago Ballester CasabuenaPPFallas
Municipal Boards The Municipal Boards are decentralized management bodies whose purpose is to bring municipal management closer to the neighbors and encourage their participation in matters of municipal competence. Each board has a President and a Vice President who are appointed and dismissed by the Mayor or the plenary council. The President represents the Mayor within the scope of the City Council and ensures the correct application of the regulations and programs of the City of Valencia in its specific area. The territory of a particular Municipal Board does not necessarily coincide with the districts or neighborhoods of Valencia (Divisions of Valencia in Castilian).
Suburban Mayor's Offices
In the municipality of Valencia, in addition to the main urban nucleus of the city, there are 15 other urban centers called pedanías that are governed under the authority of the Ayuntamiento. The Mayor of Valencia has the authority to appoint a neighbor resident of each of the districts to perform the tasks that the law entrusts to them. They are the authority responsible for the fulfillment of the municipal tasks in their district and they have other powers delegated by the mayor's office of the Municipality to bring the administration closer to the community.
References