Leszek Socha, vice-president of the Ve-to Association, comments on the social unrest in the Nowogrodziec municipality and the ferment that appears to involve representatives of the municipality’s residents elected in democratic elections. He believes there is still a simple solution to the municipality’s problems: verifying the authorities’ financial and economic activities to date.
“We went into the elections with the slogan of holding the previous authorities accountable,” says Leszek Socha. “The lack of audits became apparent in the case of Hydro-Tech in Nowogrodziec, which reported a loss of more than PLN 1.1 million in 2023. An audit would explain where this loss came from. However, at one meeting after taking office, the mayor said she would not conduct audits because she did not want to burden the municipality’s budget. In my opinion—and I am convinced of this by more than a thousand percent—audits, consistent and selective inspections, would calm the situation in the council. I worked in a similar sector, carried out inspections in local governments, and know how they ended. Audits would calm the situation in the council because councillors would finally see what it is all about. I am not saying they are unaware, but when taking something over from someone, you have to take inventory. And I have said this more than once. And now I do not understand something: if there was no money for audits, will money already be found for a referendum, for a powerful referendum campaign?” wonders the community activist.
Speaking about the potential of the Nowogrodziec municipality and the involvement of its residents, Socha asks why an inventory was not taken after former mayor Relich.
“Is anyone flying this plane?” Socha asks. “Does anyone in this municipality think about the residents? Or will they only keep them occupied, divide them, set them against one another, and attack them? There is always some hidden agenda. Perhaps audits would have revealed something we do not know, and that is why the new authorities did not conduct them? And is the turmoil that currently prevails beneficial because people have something to talk about? Personally, I do not like it. People criticize me because I did not like Relich, and now I do not like Świder. I do not like it because this is not how things are done. We did not elect these people so that they could act this way: divide the residents and waste public money,” Socha concludes his comment.