The Polinyà City Council has officially assumed the presidency of the Association of Municipalities of the Riera de Caldes Axis (AMERC). The presidency, which is rotational and annual, was formalized on Friday, September 25, during a meeting held at Can Gavarra, Polinyà's business and entrepreneurship center. This gathering also saw the establishment of the new General Assembly and the election of the new Executive Committee.
The event was attended by mayors and technical staff from the member municipalities: Caldes de Montbui, la Llagosta, Palau-solità i Plegamans, Polinyà, Santa Perpètua de Mogoda, and Sentmenat. The new president, Javier Silva, has set two key objectives for his term: "the definitive structuring of the association to ensure technical stability" and "to increase our visibility and recognition as an important regional player".
The outgoing president, Montserrat Rueda (mayor of Sentmenat), anticipates an "intense" year with the continuation of "various projects to improve industrial estates." Municipal representatives agreed on the need to "jointly advocate for improved mobility between our municipalities," as expressed by Óscar Sierra, mayor of la Llagosta. Isidre Pineda, mayor of Caldes de Montbui, highlighted AMERC's role in "coordination with neighboring municipalities" that are administratively distant, an idea reinforced by Oriol Lozano, mayor of Palau-solità i Plegamans, who noted that "without AMERC, we would lack contact with some neighboring towns simply because we belong to different counties."
For his part, Joan Carles Mingueza, mayor of Santa Perpètua de Mogoda, emphasized "many common points among our municipalities that we must strive to enhance and advocate for."
AMERC, established in 2014, covers an economic area of 109 km² with over 90,000 inhabitants and a business fabric comprising approximately 3,200 companies and more than 50,000 jobs spread across 32 industrial estates. The entity aims to promote economic development and employment in the region. Strategically located between Vallès Occidental and Vallès Oriental, the Riera de Caldes river axis is a key communication hub. The high concentration of industry has driven demographic and employment growth, with notable similarities in social and economic indicators among member municipalities, including strong interrelations in the labor market, where nearly 80% of the employed population resides and works within the axis's territorial scope.
