Title: Effects of the crisis in Spanish municipalities' financial condition: an empirical evidence (2005-2008)

Authors: Antonio M. Lopez-Hernandez; Jose Luis Zafra-Gomez; David Ortiz-Rodriguez

Addresses: Department of Financial Economics and Accounting, University of Granada, Facultad de CC. Económicas y Empresariales, Campus Universitario de Cartuja s/n, 18071 Granada – Spain ' Department of Financial Economics and Accounting, University of Granada, Facultad de CC. Económicas y Empresariales, Campus Universitario de Cartuja s/n, 18071 Granada – Spain ' Department of Financial Economics and Accounting, University of Granada, Facultad de CC. Económicas y Empresariales, Campus Universitario de Cartuja s/n, 18071 Granada – Spain

Abstract: Administrative decentralisation in Spain has been a continuous process since the restoration of democracy. However, while significant transfers of powers and funding have taken place between the central and regional governments, this is not the case with respect to local authorities. This situation, coupled with borrowing constraints and the budgetary balance required of Spanish councils under Spanish law, as well as the present economic crisis, is causing financial difficulties in municipal accounts. In this paper, we examine a sample of 2,364 local authorities, stratified by population size, for the period 2005-2008, with the aim of analysing the finances of Spanish local councils and observing the effects of the crisis on their financial condition.

Keywords: Spain; local government; municipal services; financial condition; economic crisis; municipal finances; indebtedness; budgetary solvency; Spainish municipalities; local authorities; municipal accounts; population size; local councils.

DOI: 10.1504/IJCA.2012.051457

International Journal of Critical Accounting, 2012 Vol.4 No.5/6, pp.631 - 645

Published online: 07 Aug 2014 *

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