Dramatic Surge in Marbella Mayor’s Income
In 2024, Ángeles Muñoz, head of the Marbella administration, came under scrutiny following a sudden increase in her municipal salary. Over four years, her pay soared nearly sixfold: from €14,800 in 2020 to €95,465 in 2024. This sharp rise is attributed to a change in her income source. Until 2023, Muñoz combined her mayoral role with her position in the Senate, where she received the bulk of her earnings, while the city budget provided only compensation for attending meetings and committees.
After the Senate was dissolved due to early elections, Muñoz devoted herself entirely to municipal work. With the backing of a city council majority, she secured approval for a new salary, placing her among the highest-paid mayors in Spain. Her income now surpasses not only the country’s prime minister but also the leader of the Andalusian government.
Political Career and Financial Changes
Muñoz has served as mayor of Marbella since 2007, except for a two-year break when power shifted to socialist José Bernal. In 2015, she became a senator, and her main income came from her work in the parliament’s upper house. After returning as mayor in 2017, Muñoz continued to receive Senate payments, while only small amounts were allocated from the city budget for her participation in meetings.
In 2022, Muñoz was at the center of a scandal involving an investigation into her family. The National Court became interested in the activities of her husband, Lars Gunnar Broberg, and her stepson, Joakim Broberg, as part of a drug trafficking case. After this information became public, Muñoz updated her income declaration, noting that she had become the sole owner of three companies and real estate in Sweden, as well as other properties in Málaga and Madrid.
Public Reaction and Muñoz’s Explanations
For a long time, Muñoz refused to comment on changes in her assets. It was only after a special Senate committee launched an investigation that she stated the increase in her company and property shares was due to her husband gifting her his shares in 2020. According to her, all transactions were legal and declared on time.
In 2023, after the dissolution of parliament and her departure from the Senate, Muñoz decided to focus on her work in the municipality. Shortly after, the city council approved a salary increase for her to 92,928 euros, and with inflation adjustments in 2024, the amount rose to 95,465 euros. By comparison, in 2014 her income was 54,948 euros—one third less than it is now.
Justification for the Raise and Comparisons with Other Officials
Muñoz explained that her new salary was calculated based on the state budgets and the pay structure in the provincial administration of Málaga, taking into account Marbella’s population. She emphasized that the city is considered a major municipality, which served as the basis for the salary increase.
As a result, Muñoz became not only the highest-paid female mayor among non-provincial capital cities, but also surpassed the incomes of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and Andalusia’s head Juan Manuel Moreno Bonilla. The decision to raise her salary sparked mixed reactions: it was supported by members of the People’s Party, while socialists and the local OSP party abstained, and the Vox party opposed it.
