RIGA - Nonpartisan Girts Trencis, 32, has replaced Raimonds Munkevics as mayor of the seaside resort town of Jurmala in a 15-10 city council vote. "I'll be lucky when those times will be over in Jurmala that have ruled the past two years," said Jurmala city councilwoman Inese Aizstrauta, referring to Munkevics' time in office, during which he drew heavy criticism for wasteful extravagance.
In an extraordinary meeting of Jurmala's city council on Oct. 10, an hour-long debate was held over Munkevics' dismissal. During the meeting, Munkevics alleged that the change in the council was part of a conspiracy organized by the People's Party, saying that the fate of the mayor's position had been decided in Riga.
His view came after First Party and Latvia's Way party member Andrejs Kodratjuks signed the dismissal document, despite the fact that party leader Ainars Slesers promised Munkevics that Kodratjuks would support his position.
The grounds for Munkevics' dismissal was an inability to meet the city's budget due to irresponsible spending, which city council members worried could lead to a lack of resources for social benefits and wages.
"Organization of Jurmala city council's work in 2008 deteriorated with each passing month, which is not acceptable during an economic crisis. Important issues on priorities in expenditures to the city's budget were not discussed, but were decided by Munkevics alone. At the same time, several issues rejected repeatedly by lawmakers were on the agenda of the council's meetings at the initiative of Munkevics again and again," said the city council document that made Munkevics' ousting official.
After Munkevics was ousted, two candidates, Girts Trencis and Maris Mezapuke, were nominated for the mayoral post, but Mezapuke withdrew shortly before the vote. Trencis was elected in a vote of 15-10, with 2 abstaining. Trencis had been working on the Jurmala city council's finance and transportation affairs committee.
Munkevics expressed his displeasure with the outcome of that vote, saying that Trencis is "too obedient, a complete puppet." Trencis accused Munkevics of practicing non-transparent politics, regularly breaching laws and having a poor management style.
Trencis also estimated the city government's inherited debt to be around 4 million lats (5.5 million euros) and said that government spending will have to be investigated. Tencis also plans to iron out the 2009 budget.
"We have to carry out an audit of the municipality's expenditures in 2008 and assess their efficiency. If necessary, we will also take other actions," Trencis told journalists.
Trencis' first act as mayor will be to convene the council, as it has been almost a month since the last city council meeting, with no decisions being adopted in the meantime. Munkevics had been Jurmala's mayor since September 2006. Trencis is a graduate of the Stockholm School of Economics and in addition to his role on the city council, he had also been working as a freelance advisor to the Economic Minister.
City council members had tried in spring to oust Munkevics with accusations of lavish spending and inefficiency, but were unsuccessful.
