The accounts of the Municipality of Varna have been temporarily blocked by a private judge-executive, acting mayor Pavel Popov announced at a press conference. The reason is that there is a decision of the Supreme Administrative Court (SAC), which sentences the municipality to pay just over 2.7 million leva to two companies, and the sanction is due to the inaction of the chief architect.
In 2014, a detailed development plan was approved, which allows the construction of a park hotel with about 9 thousand square meters of built-up area above ground, added Deputy Mayor Plamen Kitipov. Several years followed during which the investors did not receive a building permit. This was issued in May 2020, but was not delivered by the end of the year. Two years later, the building received Act 14. In 2024, its purpose was changed to residential, and in March this year it was put into operation.
The decision of the Supreme Administrative Court is from June 17 this year, Popov said. On July 11, the Municipality received an invitation to voluntarily pay the amount to the plaintiffs. They requested an extension of the deadline for transferring the money from the management, but they did not receive a response from the private judge-executor. On July 31, the amount will be withdrawn directly from the accounts. Their temporary blocking will not interfere with the work of the Municipality, Popov was categorical.
The two indicated that the city hall may file a counterclaim against those responsible for this damage to the Varna budget. Popov recalled that he had already sent an invitation to the city's chief architect Viktor Buzev to vacate his post, but there was no reaction. It is yet to be determined which other administration officials are to blame for what happened with the issuance and delivery of the building permit.
At the press conference, Popov also pointed out that although he is in custody, Mayor Blagomir Kotsev actively monitors and participates in the governance of Varna. According to him, the team's contacts with him are limited in time, but are very meaningful. Kotsev behaves as a leader and monitors the implementation of the administration's tasks, Popov said and specified that the Varna mayor was appointed by the European Committee of the Regions to be the rapporteur for the EU's approach to the Black Sea region.