A new reduction in the remunerative fees for cleaning and lighting from January 1, 2022 by 5%, horizontally for all, was approved by a majority, shortly after midnight, by the municipal council of Thessaloniki. The administration side proceeded for the third year to reduce the municipal fees (they had preceded 12.5% ​​in 2019 and 12.5% ​​in 2020), with the opposition, however, firing “fire” at the mayor, Konstantinos Zervas, for violating pre-election elections. promises of greater reductions and criticizes the city’s image of cleanliness and electricity.
“We are talking about a cumulative reduction of about 30% in the municipal fees”, Mr. Zervas remarked, emphasizing that this policy of reductions and reliefs is implemented with a lot of effort and tidiness of the finances.
“We stand by the citizen and the businessman. We want a stable society and economy, we want companies that operate and provide jobs. We want to alleviate all households, to put our backs on family budgets. We want everyone to feel the municipality of Thessaloniki next to them, helper, assistant “, said the mayor characteristically.
Also, for the new year, the administration of the municipality suggests an additional reduction of municipal fees by 40% for two years with the start of operation of a business, while a corresponding reduction is proposed for cultural associations and associations affected by the pandemic. The reduced rates of 80% for metro-affected companies remain the same as the 50% reductions for citizens belonging to vulnerable population groups.
In order to reduce the municipal fees, the leader of the “Thessaloniki is the Future” faction, George Orfanos, criticized the administration that “the city is worse than the moment you received it in cleanliness and lighting”, while Vassilis Gakis from the combination “Thessaloniki He responsibly “stated to the municipal authority that” there is a greater margin for discount that the people need due to the energy costs “.
Spyros Vougias of the “POLICHROMI Poli” faction spoke of “political deception” by the mayor, who had promised the citizens before the elections to reduce the municipal fees of 50%, while Elli Chrysidou from “Thessaloniki Together” He stressed that he is not against the reductions but the 5% is a “mockery towards the citizens”.
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