Residents of Nowogrodziec are fed up with the councillors’ quarrels and disputes. The final straw was the latest battle during a session concerning the municipality’s budget.
“First and foremost, we want to dissolve the city council,” says Marta Palaczyk, the representative of the referendum’s initiator Marta Palaczyk. “Because of their rather infantile approach to this year’s budget. Allocating money to things that are unimportant. We want the municipality to actually look different, and first we need to start with the basics: promoting the municipality and attracting investors,” Palaczyk adds.
The referendum’s initiators accuse the councillors of blocking initiatives instead of working for residents, attacking every idea for improving the situation, and failing to cooperate with Mayor Joanna Świder. The criticism is aimed mainly at councillors from the “Cooperation and Experience” club, associated with former mayor Robert Relich.
On 10 February, the group of five people who are initiating the referendum submitted notification to the mayor and the electoral commissioner of their intention to hold a referendum.
“We have 60 days to collect signatures for the referendum request,” says Palaczyk. “That is approximately 1,200 signatures from 10 percent of those entitled to vote. This is the number of signatures calculated for now, because we do not have official figures issued by the mayor indicating how many such people there are. However, I assumed that I would like to collect twice this minimum. Once we collect the required number of signatures for the referendum request, the commissioner has 30 days to consider it and issue a decision. If the opinion is positive, we, as the group of initiators under the commissioner’s supervision, will organise the referendum,” the representative explains.
If the residents of the Nowogrodziec municipality decide in the referendum that they want change, new elections will be held in the municipality.
“We hope that something will change,” says the representative. “That people who have an idea for the municipality will come to power, rather than people who only want to fight among themselves. A recording of the last council meeting is available online. It is terrible to me, but from my perspective as the representative and, above all, the main initiator, I want residents to see what the people on the council really represent. Those who have the most to say. These are not people who genuinely want to help the municipality; they are more likely doing what they themselves feel like doing and using their power to do it,” says Marta Palaczyk.
If the referendum were held and residents voted for a change of councillors, further elections would be held in the Nowogrodziec municipality.
What do residents criticise the council for?
- Wasting money – instead of renovating existing buildings, new ones are being built that will generate additional costs!
- Cuts to security – less funding for the Municipal Police and street lighting means a greater risk of vandalism and crime.
- Culture pushed to the margins – drastic cuts to funding for events and the activities of the Municipal Cultural and Sports Centre.
- Lack of cooperation with the mayor – instead of acting for residents’ benefit, the City Council is deliberately blocking the municipality’s development and ignoring people’s real needs!
The creators of the fan page Referendum in Nowogrodziec – Enough Chaos, Time for Change add:
ENOUGH! We have submitted official notification of our intention to hold a referendum to Mayor Joanna Świder and the Electoral Commissioner in Jelenia Góra. The procedure has begun – now it is time to collect residents’ signatures!
Nowogrodziec has become the laughingstock of the county, even though it is a beautiful town with enormous development potential. We need genuine cooperation, not arguments and blocking change!
Residents – THE FUTURE OF OUR MUNICIPALITY DEPENDS ON US!
Whether the referendum will take place and what its outcome will be, only time will tell. Details are available on the aforementioned profile.