Newly elected residents' council of Limbaži town holds its first meeting
The residents' council of Limbaži town in Latvia held its first meeting and elected its leadership. Only 51 people took part in the council elections, which is under 1% of the town's residents.
As Limbaži municipality in Latvia continues to set up residents' councils, those elected to the Limbaži town residents' council gathered for their first meeting. These councils are groups of resident representatives that discuss local issues and work with the municipal authorities. At the meeting, the council's leadership was elected and future work was discussed.
Words from municipal leaders
The meeting was attended by the chair of the municipal council, Sigita Upmale, and her deputies Ģirts Vilciņš and Diāna Zaļupe. After addresses by the local government leaders and the presentation of symbolic gifts, the members introduced themselves, elected the council's leadership and discussed what to work on next.
Low turnout, high readiness
A total of 51 people took part in the town council elections, which is less than 1% of Limbaži's residents. Compared with smaller areas of the municipality, this is low participation for the municipal centre, though no minimum number of voters has been set in the municipality.
The elected members nevertheless stood out for their willingness to take on responsibility. This was reflected in the relatively strong interest in leading posts: a female candidate put herself forward for secretary, while four council members competed for the posts of chair and deputy chair.
Vilciņš noted that this was the first time printed ballot papers had proved useful.
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