The PSOE accuses Ayuso of "making money" with the city councils by raising the firefighter fee: "She charges them more for an essential service"

The PSOE of Madrid has launched a municipal offensive against the increase in the fee with which the Government of Isabel Díaz Ayuso charges municipalities for the regional fire service. The socialist mayors present at the Governing Board of the Madrid Federation of Municipalities (FMM) have formally denounced the increase and demand an immediate review of the financing model.

"Ayuso is once again dipping her hand into the pockets of the municipalities," denounced the secretary of Municipal Policy of the Madrid PSOE, Cristina González. The socialists accuse the regional Executive of charging more for an essential service while professionals warn of shortages of personnel, material resources, and preventive work.

The reform raises the required amount from 30.93 to 35 euros per inhabitant and expands the population limit used to calculate each bill. The cap has increased from 100,000 to 120,000 residents this year, will rise to 130,000 in 2027, and will reach 150,000 from 2028.

The PSOE demands to know where the money goes

The party demands a public report on the income obtained, the investments made, the firefighter positions filled, the operational shifts, and the preventive actions carried out. It also calls for a negotiation table to prevent a decision unilaterally adopted by Ayuso from ending up cutting municipal resources available for other public services.

The blow will be especially hard in large cities. Móstoles has gone from paying about 3.09 million euros to bearing a fee of 4.2 million, a 35.7% increase. Getafe and Alcalá de Henares face a similar bill during 2026, while the full deployment of the new limit could lead to increases close to 70% in some municipalities.

The socialist offensive comes after a summer marked by several serious fires and by the complaints of forest professionals about pending preventive work. "If she wants to ask for more money from the municipalities, she will have to explain what she wants it for," González warned.

As 'ElConstitucional.es' already published, the increase will allow the Community to collect 37.8 million additional euros during 2026 and 2027. This figure practically coincides with the amount that firefighters estimate was left uninvested between 2019 and 2023 through another contribution intended for the fire service.

The Superior Court of Justice of Madrid ordered the recovery of those investments and established that this money should be allocated "solely, exclusively and entirely" to real means against fire. The resolution became final after the regional Government decided not to appeal it.

Rivas takes the increase to the Treasury

The political protest has been accompanied by the first administrative appeal. As reported by 'Somos Rivas', from 'elDiario.es', the Rivas Vaciamadrid City Council has challenged the increase before the Regional Superior Treasury Board considering it "unjust, disproportionate and not in accordance with legality".

The council argues that the project did not correctly comply with the public exposure requirements and that the economic-financial report was not available to the affected administrations in a timely manner. It also questions why Rivas should assume practically the same quota as localities with twice the population.

The city will have to pay around 3.6 million euros, about 16% more, despite still not having its own park. Rivas is the only town in Madrid with more than 100,000 inhabitants that lacks this facility, although 73% of its municipal area is part of the Southeast Regional Park.

The Ministry of Environment, Agriculture and Interior has defended that the fee aims to be "more adjusted, proportionate and progressive" and that it is necessary to sustain a service whose budget has gone from 116 million in 2016 to 230 million this year. The regional Executive maintains that the municipal contribution currently covers 33.7% of the real cost.

Its response leaves pending questions about the processing defects reported by Rivas, the specific investments that the affected cities will receive, and the detailed destination of the additional collection. The Superior Treasury Board must now resolve the first appeal filed against Ayuso's increase.