City council of San Sebastián

The City council of San Sebastián is the institution that governs the Basque city of San Sebastián . Its premises are located in the former casino of the city next to the Bay of La Concha.BuildingThe building was built up in 1887 at the Gardens of Alderdi-Eder of San Sebastián, next to the Nautical Royal Club, to house the main casino. The opening ceremony was attended by the Queen Maria Christina of Austria. However, it closed as a casino after the ban on gambling in 1924.On April 14, 1928, an agreement was reached to open in this building the Center of Attraction and Tourism, later this moving to a building next to the Hotel María Cristina.On January 20, 1945, the council moved to this building. The architects Alday and Arizmendi amended the initial project in 1943 and turned the former casino into council. Until then, the City Hall was located in the Constitution Square (Parte Vieja), now headquarters of the Municipal Library.City administrationAfter the democratic restoration in 1977 and after a brief period in which a municipal manager, led first by Ramón Jáuregui and subsequently by Iñaki Alkiza, took over the city government, the first democratic elections were held in 1979. Although lacking absolute majority, candidate of the Basque Nationalist Party (PNV) Jesús María Alkain prevailed for Mayor.In the next term (1983–1987), Ramón Labayen took over his party fellow, also without absolute majority. However, San Sebastián became a stronghold of PNV's splinter party Eusko Alkartasuna, with its candidate making it to office at the next election (1987). They formed a minority coalition government with Euskadiko Ezkerra, which allowed it to remain as mayor during the term 1987-1991.