American resident to replace resigned PSOE Councillor in Nerja Town Hall
Following the resignation of Óscar Jiménez, a socialist PSOE councillor in Nerja, Costa del Sol, Judy Rust has been selected as his replacement. Rust, originally from Burlington, Vermont, USA, has been an active member of the foreign community in Nerja since moving there in 2017, and will officially take office in October.
Rust, who lived in Antwerp, Belgium from 1989 to 2017, became involved in local issues since her full-time move to Nerja in 2021. She joined the PSOE list for the May 2023 elections, motivated by concerns over threats to democracy. She praised PSOE’s local leader Patricia Gutiérrez, whose vision for the town inspired Rust to join the political group.
Though Rust was not the next in line on the PSOE list after Jiménez's resignation, she was surprised and honoured to be offered the position. Her new responsibilities will include improving communication between Nerja's foreign community and the town hall.
Jiménez stepped down after being caught drink-driving, receiving a €1,200 fine and an eight-month driving ban.
