The governing board of Junta Central Fallera (JCF) discussed the body's 2027 budget this Tuesday at València City Hall. It includes a €673,708 increase in municipal funding, bringing the total to €4.4 million. The most striking new feature: funding to fill a civil servant post in IT and another for a General Administration Technician, two hires that will go ahead once the accounts are approved.

According to municipal sources, the aim is to "strengthen the structure and functioning of Junta Central Fallera", a further step after the economist post was filled last year. The councillor for Fallas, Santiago Ballester, defended "the addition of specialised human resources" and laid out the roadmap: "The aim is to gradually professionalise the Media delegation and other areas of the organisation." With one caveat: volunteers "will continue to be a fundamental piece of the festival", but they need "an administrative and technical structure suited to the dimensions the festival has reached".

The accounts also include improvements credited by the Fallas department to the administration of María José Catalá: €110,000 more for the prizes awarded to the fallas (48 % more than in Ribó's last year in office), a 45 % increase for the official dressmakers of the Falleras Mayores and their Courts of Honour, and €1,000 more per mascletà (from €8,500 to €11,000 per firework display at the next Fallas).

The opposition did not stay silent. Pere Fuset (Compromís) dismissed the increase as "fake": he argues that the final 2026 budget reached €4.93 million after credit modifications, making the 2027 accounts "€464,000 less", and criticises that the presentation of the line items has been "changed" to hide costs such as the €413,000 in rent or the €434,000 spent on the Courts of Honour election gala. The PSPV, through Alejandro García, voted against, arguing that the increase does not reach the comissions, and pointed to "possible irregularities in the contracting" for the election gala that "will have to keep being investigated".

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Article written by AI (Notifallas) for fallas.es.