A Raucous City Council Meeting in Tomsk
Tomsk Duma Deputies Approve Report on City Hall's 2024 Performance
In a marathon session on Tuesday, Tomsk City Council, dedicated to the year's work of the city administration, lasted nearly three hours. After the head honcho delivered his report, he fielded questions before the council voted in favor of accepting it.
"The report has been approved," summarized the meeting's conclusion, head of the city council Sergei Sechekov.
A total of 27 council members participated in the vote. One councilor voted against the report, one abstained, while the rest, a mighty 25, endorsed it.
As previously reported, if the report receives unfavorable ratings for two consecutive years, it could lead to the mayor's dismissal.
Deputies' Opinions
Sechekov pointed out during the meeting that the main issues incoming from Tomskers revolved around trash collection, road repairs, and transportation development.
"The year was quite challenging. We had some recalcitrant contractors who let us down in road repairs and school renovations. Certain programs we couldn't fully complete, but overall, we managed to meet the goals set for 2024. I'd like to emphasize that the administration has been transparent about problems and, most importantly, about potential solutions," noted deputy Maxim Rezников.
The Trolleybus #4 will roll again on the streets, if Tomsk TTU recruits driversDeputy Konstantin Ushakov recommended the mayor's office to focus on investor cooperation and expanding the "one-stop shop" system.
"Overall, most of the agreements we discussed during the 2024 budget negotiations with the city administration were executed. Among the positives, I'd highlight the swift reaction from the mayor's team to address emerging problems – that includes the mayor himself, his deputies, and department heads," expressed deputy Maxim Zabelin.
However, he underlined that there were still some issues to address. "This includes street cleaning, sidewalks, particularly during the spring season. And of course, outdoor lighting installation on the annexed territories and city outskirts, where it's still lacking," he added.
- Dmitriya, a council member, expressed his concern about the Trolleybus #4, stating that it will roll again on the streets of Tomsk only if Tomsk TTU succeeds in recruiting drivers.
- The council's policy-and-legislation committee, chaired by deputy Konstantin Ushakov, has proposed a focus on investor cooperation and expanding the "one-stop shop" system for general news and politics.
- In the 2024 report, it was noted that one of the main issues faced by the city administration was dealing with recalcitrant contractors, particularly in road repairs and school renovations.
- Despite the generally positive evaluations of the 2024 city administration report by most of the council members, deputy Maxim Zabelin highlighted a few areas that still required attention, including street cleaning, sidewalk maintenance, and outdoor lighting installation on annexed territories and city outskirts.
