Opposition councillor Urszula Magryś recounted what happened during the Bolesławiec City Council session on 26 November. The councillor described how Chair Jaźwiec reprimanded her and took away her right to speak during the session, preventing her from presenting her position in the key discussion about the waste fee increase.
The councillor stressed that such conduct shows disregard for voters and called for the restoration of rules under which councillors have the full right to ask questions.
– Being a councillor was a conscious decision on my part, and I am not looking for special treatment – explains Urszula Magryś. – But one thing must be clear: attacking a councillor for asking questions shows disregard for the people who entrusted her with their vote. The way Chair Jaźwiec conducts sessions, full of superiority, aggressive comments and attempts to silence people, serves neither the Council nor the residents. The people of Bolesławiec deserve standards under which a councillor has the right to ask questions, the mayor has a duty to explain, and the chair safeguards reliability rather than his own emotions or political sympathies. I work for the residents and will continue asking questions, even if it bothers someone – the outraged councillor adds.
My mistake in the vote
The councillor felt obliged to admit that she had made a mistake while voting on the resolution concerning the increase in waste collection fees. Although she intended to vote against it, she cast her vote contrary to her intention.
The mistake was not caused by the councillor's lack of knowledge, but, as she claims, by the atmosphere of haste and chaos prevailing during the proceedings.
– I did not have time to ask detailed questions because the mayor himself took the floor, saying that the matter had been discussed in greater detail at the previous day's committee meetings – Magryś explains. – I replied that I had not been there and was not a member of those committees. At the beginning of the term, when I wanted to join them, the chair told me that all the places were already taken. The key committees were staffed mainly by the mayor's and PiS circles. During today's session, Jaźwiec tried to use this fact against me, claiming that I “could have applied earlier”. When I calmly explained the situation, the chair once again began twisting my words and commenting on them in a provocative manner, trying to portray me unfavourably – the councillor reports.
Concerns over the increase in waste collection fees
The councillor believes that key data was missing and that her intended opposition had specific grounds.
– The justification for the increase lacked fundamental information, such as the costs of managing individual waste fractions in Bolesławiec and an analysis of other methods of calculating fees, for example per household or based on water consumption, although the mayor mentioned these methods. It was not stated what the actual costs of operating the RIPOK had been over the past three years, nor what impact the deposit-return system would have on fees – Urszula Magryś explains.
Magryś claims that instead of data, councillors received general statements about rising energy and wage costs, which is clearly insufficient to justify imposing further burdens on residents.