By Brenda Padilla

Have you heard of the "padrón"?

The "padrón" or "certificado de empadronamiento" refers to the process of registering with the town hall as a resident of your municipality. The process is simple and does not require that you have your residency papers in order. It is free and does not incur any additional taxes (if you own your home, you will be required to pay municipal taxes anyway).

It is important for all residents in a municipality to register in order for the local government to receive the proper amount of funds necessary to run the city and maintain infrastructures. Whether you are purchasing property or renting a home, it is in both your own and your community's best interest to make the little effort required to go down to the town hall and register.

This way, you will ensure that your sewage system continues to run smoothly. Rubbish will disappear on schedule and your local health clinic and post office will be adequately staffed. All along the Costa del Sol, basic services suffer because so many foreign residents do not register for the "padrón" and therefore do not count when it comes time for the central government to allot budget to their local municipalities.

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