During discussions on the mayor’s office regulations and changes to staffing positions, the opposition in Jūrmala City Council on Thursday raised concerns about the possible creation of a new position for former mayor Gatis Truksnis (Latvian Green Party).
At the council meeting, the position of senior legal adviser in the mayor’s office was replaced in the staff list with that of deputy head of the office. This position comes with a higher salary, ranging from 2,009 to 5,000 euros depending on qualifications, deputies were informed.
“Have you ever heard of a minister announcing a competition for positions in their own office?” Mayor Jānis Lediņš (Latvian Green Party) responded when asked by the opposition whether a competition would be held for the post.
Council member Andris Čuda (National Alliance) expressed suspicion that, similar to the Ogre municipality — where former mayor Egils Helmanis (National Alliance) became head of the council chairman’s office —
the changes in Jūrmala’s mayor’s office could be linked to the creation of a position for former mayor Truksnis.
“We will see what Mr. Lediņš has come up with,” Uldis Kromblūms (Progressives) also indirectly hinted regarding a potential role for Truksnis.
According to the decision, the mayor’s office will consist of five people — a head, a deputy head, and three advisers.
The office’s responsibilities include organizing and planning the work of the council chair and vice-chair, analysing the alignment of municipal strategic goals with national and regional priorities, and providing opinions on issues related to sectoral policies, finance, culture, education, the economy, public relations, and other areas.
It will also be responsible for gathering and analysing information to support the duties of the council leadership, monitoring the implementation of decisions made at planning meetings, and coordinating official visits, meetings, and participation in cultural and sports events.
Additionally,
the office will be able to represent the chair’s views to the media upon instruction,
coordinate correspondence addressed to the mayor and deputy, prepare draft responses, and facilitate cooperation between municipal institutions. It will also handle visitor coordination, planning of the mayor’s and deputy mayor’s schedules, and organization of transport services.
Later during the meeting, council member and former mayor Rita Sproģe (Union of Greens and Farmers) left the session, claiming she had not been given the opportunity to ask a question despite having registered to do so. She sought clarification on why she was denied the opportunity but did not receive an answer.
As previously reported, in autumn 2025 the Jūrmala council decided to establish a new Strategic Planning Committee, with the opposition expressing concerns that it was created specifically to appoint Truksnis — who had lost the mayor’s position — as its head and secure him a salary.
Opposition members also recalled that
after Truksnis previously lost the mayor’s post, a special adviser position to the council chair had been created for him.
They argue that the council already has too many committees and that it remains unclear what issues the new committee will address.
It is estimated that maintaining the new committee, including the remuneration of its chair, will cost nearly 23,000 euros annually.
The creation of the committee has been justified by the need to ensure coordinated and targeted long-term municipal development.
Later, in line with opposition predictions, Truksnis was elected as the head of the new committee.
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