Обектив

At the end of 2008. revenues in the budget of the municipality of Velingrad have increased by 722 558 leva above the planned ones. This money was to be redistributed by a decision of the Municipal Council at an extraordinary session on 30 December 2008. and Municipal Administration presented a project for what activities to be allocated. But after an hour and a half of scandals in the committees and another hour of disputes during the meeting, the majority of DPS, VMRO and BZNS and the GERB advisers did not vote on the update of the budget ‘2008. Thus, the municipality has funds, but will not absorb them in a timely manner - a paradox that happens for the first time in the last 20 years!
Discussions on the point again showed that a large majority of councillors do not know the legal basis. In the hall, the manager of Sports Properties and Beaches Atanaska Hrischeva had to explain as first-class what are the differences between a municipal enterprise and a commercial company, and the chief accountant of the municipality Hristo Savov to explain basic rules for formulating the decisions of the Municipal Council in order for them to be legal and enforceable.
The most controversial were the money for "Sports Properties and Beaches", for which there were already voted decisions of the Municipal Council. Dr. G. Cheshmedzhiev asked why the 50,000 leva voted for repairing the kitchen of a municipal hospital was not paid and received an answer from Hr. Savov that in their decisions the advisors should record exactly where the money is to be taken. Alexander Gagov returned to the 500,000 leva for committed but unpaid construction, which the majority refused to vote at the previous session. This caused the anger of Ekaterina Kaferinova, who insisted that President Mustafa Dzhambaz step into her role and not allow discussions outside the agenda.
Angrily was also the statement of the adviser Toma Pachalov, who asked his colleagues: "What are we doing - we do not give money for education and health care? What have we become? What are we, what are we doing? Shame on the whole city and municipality!". This Municipal Council made a year and there are councillors who have not opened their laws at least out of best man's shame, added T. Pachalov. According to him, some of the councillors think they can manage the municipality as a firm. On them T. Pachalov reminded that the Municipal Council is not a place for training and that it is easiest to make policy on the backs of others. That is why it has come to a situation that is not anywhere in the world - the municipality to have money, but the councilors do not want to distribute it.
"Who is the Chairman of the Municipal Council - M. Jambaz or Al. Gagov, who is leading the session?!" asked Mayor Ivan Lebanov after a violent exchange of lines between Al. Gagov et al. Savov. The mayor stated that he did not accept to humiliate municipal administration officials (almost all of them were in the hall this time). According to Ivan Lebanov, the majority does not update the budget of the municipality because it wants a mayor weak, a mayor fake, to whom it can twist hands, but this will not happen. He stressed that in the name of transparency, the administration has proposed for a vote by the Municipal Council even expenses for which the law does not require this. "I have been correct and have given a hand regardless of which majority. But while you were going up and down, Municipal Administration had to work!" said the mayor and again accused the majority of twisting his hands because they want to give away municipal parcels and money. In addition, councillors also want the executive power, but this should not happen. At the end of his speech, the mayor suggested: "Let's distribute our functions and give a hand in the name of the municipal, not in personal interest."
Immediately after this call and without giving any arguments, DPS, GERB, IMRO and BZNS rejected the budget update, which was supported only by the ten councilors from Green Bulgaria, BSP and ZNS.
The consequence of the budget'2008 not being updated will be the suspension of decisions already voted by the Municipal Council to allocate funds - which exactly will become clear this week.
Elena Baeva