The councillors of the Municipality of Kisela Voda decided not to take their honoraria for attending sessions in January, February and March, but to acquire the municipal computers instead, as compensation.

The councillors of the Kisela Voda municipality gave up the 9.600 MKD monthly honoraria for their session attendance during January, February and March, but voted to acquire the municipal computers in return. Yesterday, they unanimously adopted the draft-decision, without any discussion, and made it possible for themselves to take the computers home, upon the completion of their four year mandate in the Council.

“Not only that we took the initiative in introducing an Electronic council in the Municipality of Kisela Voda, but in nine months, for as long as the electronic council is active, we have also modernized the work of the Council. We saved money for paper and telephone costs, so we believe that now we have the right to take the computers. By doing this, we would not be damaging the municipality, since there would still be a surplus of money in Kisela Voda” – the councillors explained their compensation proposal, submitted by the Coordinative body of the Council.

Yesterday, the mayor of the Kisela Voda Municipality - Djordje Arsov, left the Council’s session, angered by its decision. He is against this decision and said that he will do anything he can in order to protect the municipal property.

“This decision is shameful for the municipality. I don’t know how the councillors could have made such shameful decisions which are not in favour of the citizens. If the councillors contributed for the citizens of Kisela Voda by working on the computers during the last 9 months, then should we all start taking home with us municipal property by the end of this mandate? The municipality’s employees angrily commented that “the municipality also has other computers, a TV set…”.

The electronic council of the Municipality of Kisela Voda was introduced last year in May and every councillor got an E510 laptop computer, i.e. a total of 23 computers were purchased. Yesterday, nobody from the municipality was willing to say how much the laptops actually cost, explaining that they are shocked. On the other hand, the councillors took a break to relax after the session and went to lunch, to celebrate their decision.

Source: Vest „Си ги присвоиле лаптопите место паушали“ (Only in Macedonian) Number 2611, February 28, 2009