Castilleja de la Cuesta debuts new regulations for honors, protocol, and ceremonial acts

The City Council of Castilleja de la Cuesta has finalized its new Regulations on Honors and Distinctions, Protocol, and Ceremonial, the full text of which is published in the Official Gazette of the Province of Seville no. 202, dated October 19, 2026 (official reference: BOP-SE-2026-202006). The agreement was adopted by the municipal Plenary and signed by the mayor-president, Carmen Herrera Coronil, on October 14, 2026. This regulation replaces the one approved in the plenary session on June 29, 2000.

From the initial agreement to final publication

The Extraordinary Plenary of July 30, 2026, initially approved the regulations and ordered its publication in accordance with article 49 b) of Law 7/1985, of April 2, regulating the Bases of the Local Regime. The text was presented to the public via an announcement in the Official Gazette of the Province of Seville no. 152, dated August 7, 2026, and no allegations or suggestions were submitted during the open period.

Once the public exhibition period ended, the agreement was made final and published for the purposes of article 17.4 of Royal Legislative Decree 2/2004 and article 70.2 of Law 7/1985. The full text is also available on the municipal Transparency Portal, in compliance with Law 19/2013 and Law 1/2014 on Public Transparency of Andalusia.

The statement of motives invokes article 191 of Royal Decree 2568/1986, which approves the Regulations on Organization, Operation, and Legal Regime of Local Entities, and explains that the previous regulation only covered the Gold Medal, the titles of Favorite and Adopted Child, Honorary Mayor, Distinguished Visitor, the Key to the town, the naming of streets and squares, twinning, and decorations for the Local Police.

An expanded catalog of distinctions

Article 2 organizes the honorary distinctions into six blocks:

• Titles: Favorite Son and Favorite Daughter, and Adopted Son and Adopted Daughter of Castilleja de la Cuesta, which are lifelong and may be granted posthumously.
• Decorations: the Gold Medal of Castilleja de la Cuesta, which may be extended by plenary agreement to the Sacred Titular Images of the municipality’s Brotherhoods.
• Special Recognitions: Honorary Mayor and Distinguished Visitor.
• Distinctions: Key to Castilleja de la Cuesta, naming of streets, squares, and public buildings, signing the Book of Honor, and twinning.
• Declaration of Official Mourning, with flags at half-mast, black ribbons, and a possible lying-in-state in the town hall building.
• Decorations, distinctions, and recognitions for the Local Police.

The text reserves a special consideration for the Virgen de Guía, who may be granted the decoration of “Protector of the City Council of Castilleja de la Cuesta” by agreement of the Plenary, with the same rank as the Gold Medal. A Special Mention Diploma is also created for associations, entities, and residents, and the Book of Honors and Distinctions and the Signature Book remain under the custody of the Secretary General. All distinctions are “merely honorary,” without economic or administrative rights, and councilors are excluded as long as they maintain that status, except in the case of official mourning.

Absolute majority and prior proceedings

The granting of these honors requires an absolute majority of the Plenary and the prior instruction of a file, initiated by decree of the Mayor’s Office, with a reasoned proposal. Only the Key and the appointment of Distinguished Visitor are reserved for the Mayor’s Office via decree, with a subsequent report to the Plenary, due to the immediacy with which they must be resolved. The agreement for the grant is notified within ten days.

The regulation also governs the deprivation of distinctions due to misconduct or grievances against the municipality, including the return of the badge and the cancellation of the registry entry, and sets a maximum period of three months for the resolution of loss-of-honor proceedings.

Ceremonial enters the regulation

The main novelty is the incorporation of protocol: the awarding of titles and medals will be held in the Plenary Hall, unless expressly decided by the Mayor’s Office, and the presidency of all public acts corresponds to the mayor. The Secretary General will attest to the agreement before the awarding, following a fixed order that begins with the title of Favorite Son.

A specific catalog is established for the Local Police:

• Cross of Merit for a Security Body, with a red and white badge.
• Municipal Medal for police work.
• Cross of Merit for Sacrifice in the Fulfillment of Duty, in gold and silver categories.
• Cross of Merit for Constancy in Service, with six classes for 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, and 40 years of uninterrupted service.
• Local Police Medal and Public Commendation from the City Council in Plenary.

The grants will be communicated to the Junta de Andalucía in accordance with Article 32 of Law 6/2023, of July 7, on Local Police of Andalusia, and may be elevated to the Medal of Merit of the Local Police of Andalusia provided for in Decree 98/2006, of May 16.

The new regulation fully affects brotherhoods, associations, entities, and residents aspiring to municipal recognition, and orders for the first time the manner in which the City Council distinguishes, delivers, and, where applicable, withdraws these honors. Distinctions already granted by previous corporations remain in effect by additional provision.

Source: Official Gazette of the Province of Seville, no. 202, of October 19, 2026, Local Administration, pp. 19-65 (official reference: BOP-SE-2026-202006).