The Mayor of Varash, Oleksandr Menzul, made a statement outlining the issues with community funding and the halt of important programs.
This is reported by Rivne24
“Last week, we submitted a budget adjustment to the military administration. This is not politics — these are basic things without which the city cannot function properly. We proposed:
– fuel for maintenance, so that yards, roads, and parks are serviced without delays;
– funding for cultural and youth programs, including the “HURKIT” project;
– completion of repairs in the hospital;
– urgent work at the Sopachiv and Sobichytsky lyceums, including a new roof, toilets for children, classrooms, and a water purification system;
– separate funding to support the military.
However, on Monday, an order came through rejecting about two-thirds of our proposals. Everything related to children, education, culture, and medicine was removed.
It seems that decisions at the local level have begun to depend not on the needs of the people, but on instructions from “above.” Following the high-profile actions of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office in the energy sector, accompanied by arrests and suspicions, instability has arisen throughout the hierarchy. This has already become a topic of discussion in Ukrainian and international media, and anti-corruption agencies have released details of their operation.
The head of the military administration, Marynina, seems to be acting “on commands” from people in the energy sector. And when scandals, searches, and suspicions occur there, for some reason, funding for children and hospitals disappears locally. It looks like someone is “putting the city’s development on pause” and waiting for instructions from above. But such a pause is not suitable for the people,” he noted on his page.