Bauska Municipality’s Rental Apartment Debts Increase by €20,000 in a Year
In Bauska municipality, rental apartment debts in the Bauska union have risen from €60,000 to €80,000 over the past year, prompting deputy Ināra Pētersone to question debt collection processes and missing data from other unions.
At the Bauska municipal council meeting on June 25, deputy Ināra Pētersone (LA) again raised the issue of municipal rental apartment debts. She noted that she had requested data from all unions but only received information about the Bauska union from SIA "Bauskas novada komunālserviss". Executive director Ivars Romānovs explained that the debt situation in other unions (Iecava, Vecumnieki) is not significant, but admitted that past administrative resources for debt management were insufficient. He stated that a new specialist has been hired to work systematically.
Pētersone highlighted that debts in the Bauska union have increased from €60,000 to €80,000 in a year, and asked about the basis of the delegation agreement. Romānovs said the current agreement with the communal service company is outdated, and a new one could not be finalized because the company dictated its own terms. The possibility of creating a structural unit based on the Rundāle union is being considered.
Ģirts Kolendo, board member of SIA "Bauskas novada komunālserviss", acknowledged that the contract dates back to 2016 and does not cover all apartments. Board member Uģis Saukums explained that data for Iecava and Vecumnieki were omitted due to an error but would be submitted soon. Indra Latviete, head of the Economics and Finance Department, clarified that debts appear on the municipality’s balance sheet because the communal service company only transfers collected amounts.
Deputy Pētersone expressed hope that full information, including debt reduction mechanisms, would be available at the next council meeting. No discussion on reducing debts took place at the meeting, and the topic is expected to continue at the next session.
