It would appear that in 2017 many of our municipal leaders were earning far more than Community or Provincial Presidents, according to figures recently compiled, and there would seem to be absolutely no logic as to how they arrived at their salaries. They are certainly not based on the number of residents, with some very tiny councils paying their mayors far more than their much larger neighbours.

Sitting pretty at the top of the list of highest-paid mayors, with an annual salary of 82,602.94 euros was Joan Ribó, the mayor of the city of Valencia, while the mayor who received the smallest income was the mayor of Beniatjar, a small town of 219 inhabitants in the Vall d’Albaida, who drew just 90 euros a year.

Ribó was the third highest paid on the national list behind the mayor of Madrid, Manuel Carmena, 102,009.97, and Bilbao, Juan Mari Aburto.

The salary of the mayor of Valencia exceeded that of Community President Ximo Puig, who took 79,909 euros per annum and also exceeded that of the Vice President and Minister Mónica Oltra, 59,712.36 euros.

The Valencian mayor was followed by the mayor of Alicante, Luis Barcala, who received 66,004.62 euros and the mayor of Vila-Real, José Benlloch, who charged 65,649.22 euros to govern a city of just over 50,000 inhabitants.

Elche was the fourth on the list, paying its mayor, Carlos González, 61,927.20 euros. He was followed by Alcoi, Antonio Francés, 57,501.59 euros, who was one position in front of 6th placed, Emilio Bascuñana of Orihuela, who enjoyed a salary of 57,125.60 euros due to rise to 61,537 in the 2019 legislature.

Burjassot, represented by the socialist Rafael García, paid its mayor 56,100 euros; Benidorm, with Antonio Pérez, 55,990.30 euros; Sagunto where the mayor was Quico Fernández, 55,770.30 euros and Castellón with 575,470 inhabitants, paid its mayor, Amparo Marco a salary of 52,867.44 euros.

Further down the scale, but still paying salaries of more than 40,000 euros, was Betxí, a town of less than 6,000 inhabitants where Mayor Alfred Remolar (Compromís) received 43,344.28 euros, a similar figure also drawn by the mayor of Benejúzar, Antonio Bernabé, with 5,372 inhabitants: 42,066.40 euros.

Marta Barrachina ran the town hall in Vall d’Alba, a small town in Castellón with 2,781 inhabitants. As mayor, she received 40,831.41 euros.

At the other end of the scale there were three mayors who charged less than 100 euros per year for attending the plenary sessions. The mayor of the Valencian Community that charged least was Francisco Giner Monzó, in Beniatjar, a small town of 219 inhabitants in the Vall d’Albaida. In 2017 his remuneration was 90 euros. The mayor of Benafigós, María Mercedes Cortés, charged 10 euros more for representing her townsfolk, numbering 148 residents as did mayor Ferrer in the town of Bolulla, a municipality of 414 inhabitants of the interior of the Marina Baixa. As mayor Ferrer said, he is in the job because it is a vocation, not because politics is his livelihood.