RIGA, Nov 1 (LETA) - The opposition Progressives faction of the Riga City Council has submitted a request to consider the issue of Linda Ozola's (Code for Riga) dismissal from the post of Riga vice mayor, LETA was informed by the faction.

The Progressives justify this request by the need to use municipal resources more efficiently and thoughtfully, "especially in this challenging budget planning period".

The post of vice mayor of the Riga City Council, which involves security, anti-corruption and transparency functions, costs the municipality around EUR 130 000 a year, the group said, arguing that similar functions are already provided by the City Council Committee on Security, Order and Corruption Prevention, which aims to address these issues.

The Progressives argue that it is necessary to assess whether the duplication of this position's functions in the municipality is justified.

"It is currently unacceptable for the municipality to spend hundreds of thousands of euros on duplicated functions, while the competences of a council committee could be effectively carried out by a single head of department. There needs to be a single political responsibility for this sector and this is a step that shows the willingness of the municipality to work more efficiently," says the faction leader Viesturs Kleinbergs.

An analysis of the Security Committee's meetings and workload shows that in 2024, the committee held 12 meetings, examining 22 committee issues and 12 draft decisions - significantly fewer than other Riga City Council committees, the Progressives concluded. This shows the need for stronger political leadership in the committee, centralizing the position to that of a committee head which would at the same time save significant municipal resources and improve decision-making, the Progressives believe.

The Progressives also point out that Ozola's position was created to give the Code for Riga faction equal representation in the coalition. However, given that Code for Riga plans to run in the municipal elections on a joint list with New Unity, the retention of this post is no longer necessary to maintain political balance in the Riga City Council, the faction points out.