ARE YOU STILL ON THE PADRÓN?

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An ongoing campaign by the National Statistics Institute of Spain has resulted in Orihuela town hall urging residents to consider the validity of their status on the Padrón.

In particular, residents who may have registered some time ago, but had no reason to request a copy of their status certificate, or who may be new to the area, or anybody in doubt, is asked to make contact with the town hall to check, so as genuine residents don´t get removed as part of the natural cleanup of the data by the National Institute.

According to Martina Schreurer, the Councillor for the Coast and International Residents explained to The Leader that if you have made official contact with the office within two years, moved municipalities or bought a large purchase such as a car, it is likely that your status is already proven by the natural process. You may have been to the town hall to collect an up to date certificate, in which case you are confirmed, but if you have been dormant in official procedures, you may need to update your status.

Accurate numbers of residents on the padrón are important, as those figures dictate the administrative size of a municipality and, therefore, the amount of budget allocated per person by regional and central governments. With 95,000 residents in Orihuela, and growing, the municipality is just 5,000 away from the next level of financial allocation, which would boost the available funds for services in the municipality, but a cynic might suggest that it is no wonder that the central records office are trying to keep a close eye on hoping the figure doesn´t pass the 100,000 mark.

Martina Schreurer continued to explain that “sadly, people pass away, some move back to their own country, others just have no involvement with the town hall”, that is why the INE have a duty to flush out the figures periodically, to ensure as accurate picture as possible.

If you are in the position of having to check or re-register, then it is also an ideal opportunity to check your voting records. Whilst expats are not eligible to vote in national elections to choose the government of the country, we are eligible and able to vote at a local, municipal and regional level.

Whatever your political leanings at home, you have the right to choose who runs your local government here, so if you think the government team are doing a good job, you are able to ensure they carry on with a mark from your pen. Equally, if you think they are not performing, you have the same right to vote against them, and possibly change the political canvas. It is your right, subject to certain conditions, so you should take the opportunity to get involved. By not waiting until the mad rush of election time, you can check the process now and then be prepared to make your mark and play your own part in the future of where you live.

Filed under: http://www.theleader.info/article/40432/

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