Gyumri City Council Fails to Approve Budget for the First Time

The Gyumri City Council did not approve the 2024 annual work plan and the draft budget during its extraordinary session held on December 29, due to the outcome of the vote on the agenda items discussed, which included nine questions.

According to reports from the city hall, the council voted as follows: on the question of appointing Lusine Sanoyan as the Deputy Mayor, the vote count was 17 in favor, 11 against, and 4 abstentions. Similarly, for the appointment of Suren Janoyan as the Assistant Mayor, the council had the same voting results.

Today's extraordinary session of the Gyumri community included the following questions on its agenda:

• Appointment of the First Deputy Mayor
• Appointment of the Deputy Mayor
• Approval of the 2024 Annual Work Plan
• Amendment to Decision No. 56-A by the Gyumri Community Council dated May 5, 2017
• Setting the salary of the Mayor and repeal of Decision No. 10-A dated February 9, 2021
• Amendment to Decision No. 105-A by the Gyumri Community Council dated June 22, 2022
• Approval of the number of workers, job classifications, and salary rates of non-commercial organizations in the Gyumri community and repeal of Decision No. 282-A by the Gyumri Community Council dated December 27, 2021
• Setting types and rates of local taxes and fees for 2024 in the administrative territory of Gyumri
• Approval of the Gyumri community's budget for 2024

Of the nine items on the council's agenda, the 2024 annual work plan and the draft budget for 2024 were not approved.

In the votes regarding the approval of the 2024 Annual Work Plan, the breakdown was as follows: the "Balasanyan Alliance" group voted 13 in favor, "Civil Contract" group voted 11 against, "Living Land" group had 2 abstentions, "Zartonk" group had 4 abstentions, and the "Republican" group voted 2 in favor. Similarly, for the question on the approval of the 2024 budget, the vote was: "Balasanyan Alliance" 13 in favor, "Civil Contract" 11 against, "Living Land" 2 abstentions, "Zartonk" 4 abstentions, and "Republican" group 2 in favor.