San Torcuato approves the subsidy ordinance against depopulation

The Plenary Session of the San Torcuato City Council initially approved, in an ordinary session held on September 30, 2026, the Regulatory Ordinance for subsidies aimed at preventing depopulation and boosting the business and economic activity of the municipality. The agreement is published in the Official Gazette of La Rioja number 190, corresponding to Friday, October 2, 2026, within section III. Other Provisions and Acts, with the official reference BOR-A-20261002-III–3711 and file number 202609300124726.

Initial approval and public exhibition

The announcement, signed by the Mayor-President, Silvia Muñoz Pérez, details that the agreement and the full text of the ordinance will remain open for public inspection for a period of thirty business days. This period is calculated from the day following the publication of the corresponding announcement in the Official Gazette of La Rioja.

During this period, interested parties may:

• Examine the complete file of the ordinance.
• Submit any claims and suggestions they deem appropriate.

The procedure complies with the provisions of Article 49 of Law 7/1985, of April 2, Regulating the Bases of Local Regime, the regulation that establishes the approval procedure for local ordinances and regulations.

Purpose of the regulation: halting depopulation

The ordinance was created with a dual objective stated in the agreement itself: to prevent depopulation and to boost the business and economic activity of the municipality of San Torcuato. The initiative is part of the effort by small Riojan city councils to retain population and sustain the local productive fabric through economic incentives.

The initially approved text establishes the regulatory framework for the granting of subsidies; that is, the rules by which the Council may grant aid to companies and economic activities within the municipal district. The official publication does not yet detail the amount of the aid or the specific beneficiaries, which will be determined in the corresponding calls for applications.

Effects of the agreement and next steps

If no claims or suggestions are submitted during the public exhibition period, the initial approval agreement—until then provisional—will be understood as definitively adopted, without the need for a new plenary agreement. Otherwise, the City Council must resolve the submitted allegations before final approval.

The announcement is made public “for general knowledge” and is dated San Torcuato, September 30, 2026, with document number III.3711.

A Riojan municipality facing the demographic challenge

La Rioja has a Department of Local Policy, Infrastructure, and the Fight against Depopulation, which aligns the San Torcuato initiative with regional policies addressing the demographic challenge. The municipal regulation will provide the City Council with its own legal instrument to coordinate direct aid for the municipality’s business fabric.

For businesses and residents of San Torcuato, the announcement opens a key window: over the next thirty business days, they may consult the text and submit allegations regarding an ordinance that will determine access to future municipal subsidies. Final approval, expected to be automatic if there are no claims, will turn the agreement into current law and enable the first calls for aid against depopulation.

Source: Official Gazette of La Rioja, no. 190, October 2, 2026, section III. Other Provisions and Acts, page 16737 (official reference: BOR-A-20261002-III–3711).