"We consider the allegations made by the mayor of Bolesławiec absurd" – this is how the Press Spokesperson for the Lower Silesian Voivode commented on the complaint filed against the Voivode by Piotr Roman. The mayor wrote to the Prime Minister of the Republic of Poland that the Lower Silesian Voivode, Stanisław Łopatowski, contrary to earlier assurances that he would help ensure the smooth municipalization of the waterworks, is doing everything to prevent it.
Efforts by the urban and rural municipalities of Bolesławiec to take over the Water Supply and Sewage Company from the Lower Silesian Voivode have already been going on for almost two years. And there is no indication that they will end successfully. It would be good if they ended at all. Otherwise, the city will lose almost 11 million euros.
The letters sent by the voivode, often mutually contradictory, may serve as evidence of his inconsistent and ill-considered actions. In one of them, he writes that he has already decided on municipalization, meaning the transformation of the waterworks into a municipal budget institution. In another, he says that he considers privatizing the Water Supply and Sewage Company the only rational solution. There is also no shortage of other ideas, such as transferring to the city only the part connected with the wastewater treatment plant and sewage system while privatizing the rest of the company. The mayor and councillors stress that such a solution would be disadvantageous not only for the workforce but also for residents – accepting the voivode’s proposal would mean a 10 percent increase in water prices.
The funds already granted by the European Union can be received only by a municipal government, provided that it owns the company that is currently state-owned. If municipalization does not take place, the city will lose the EU money, making this the first such case in Poland. It is worth noting that Bolesławiec ranks a strong second among cities in terms of the amount of EU funding received. Both the mayor and the councillors want to retain this position and the city’s image on the international stage.
The complaint to the prime minister may perhaps produce results. And if it does not? Councillors have announced that they will collect residents’ signatures for a petition addressed to... the prime minister. The mayor has also announced that the municipality will file a complaint against the voivode with the prosecutor’s office.
Meanwhile, Paweł Czuma, Spokesperson for the Lower Silesian Voivode, told Boleslawiec.org that "it is thanks to the voivode’s actions over the past year or more that the EU funds for the city will not be lost. The solution to this situation, consisting in separating part of the assets of PWiK Bolesławiec and transferring it to the city so that a municipal company can be established on that basis, guarantees compliance with the applicable law and fulfillment of the conditions set by the European Union". The spokesperson added that the mayor of Bolesławiec is fully aware of this and that his actions are purely political and have nothing to do with the facts. "At this point, it depends solely on the goodwill of Mayor Piotr Roman whether the matter will be concluded this month. The voivode has done everything on his side, and even more, to resolve this issue positively" – the Voivode’s Press Spokesperson argues.