SALARIES of mayors of Slovak cities, towns and villages will be reduced by 10 percent as early as June, according to a law passed by parliament on May 17 that was subsequently signed by President Ivan Gašparovič.
In addition to the 10 percent pay cut, the law governing a mayor’s legal position and remuneration allows a municipal council to increase a mayor’s basic salary by no more than 70 percent and no longer permits mayors to get bonuses.
The Association of Slovak Towns and Villages (ZMOS) is unhappy with the new law and in protest some members booed Prime Minister Iveta Radičová when she attended its annual congress in mid May. Richard Sulík, the Speaker of Parliament and head of Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) party, which initiated the salary cuts for mayors, accused ZMOS of “extorting” the government and his party.
“I do not see how they got to [the conclusion] that they will make laws,” Sulík told journalists, as quoted by the SITA newswire. Sulík also urged that Slovakia should adopt a one-mandate rule, meaning that an MP could not simultaneously hold the post of mayor.
Sulík added that a few mayors harmed the reputation of all mayors by granting themselves maximum salaries and argued that no mayors should have higher salaries than the prime minister. He also called upon ZMOS representatives to disclose mayoral salaries.
Former ZMOS Chairman Michal Sýkora stated that SaS had deliberately attacked local and regional governments, harmed their reputation, created tension and cast doubt on their representatives, SITA reported.
