Transparency International Georgia assessed the activities carried out by the City Council of Akhaltsikhe municipality (Hereinafter Akhaltsikhe City Council) in 2020.

The report is based on the information requested and received from the City Council as well as the information published on the official website of the City Council, and on observations of our organization.

The research covers the period of 2020.

Transparency International Georgia evaluated Akhaltsikhe City Council’s performance in 2020 as well. The study covered the period from November 2017 to 2019.

Main Findings

• Akhaltsikhe City Council exercised a weak oversight of the executive body and the legal entities founded by the municipality. The City Council, in most cases, formally controlled the activities of the officials and certain agencies accountable to it;
• The City Council or its factions/commissions have not hosted the representatives of the executive body for discussion of any type of issues;
• The City Council of Akhaltsikhe has not identified a single case of the conflict of interests, incompatible activities, violation of the Rules of Procedure of the City Hall and the norms of ethics;
• In 2020, the City Council held 14 sessions and discussed 78 topics given in the agenda. 64 issues passed through voting and all of them were adopted without any changes;
• Five standing commissions of the City Hall held 36 sessions and discussed 65 issues, including 62 issues that were brought in for voting and the members of the City Council adopted all of them unanimously, excluding one. A single issue, which was refused by the commission and was returned to the City Hall addressed the establishment of a new N(N)LE (Non-Profit Non-Commercial Legal Entity). However, this topic was brought back by Mayor of Akhaltsikhe at the last extraordinary session at the end of the year (without discussing it at the sessions of commissions and bureau) and the members of the City Council adopted it unanimously, while not asking a single question regarding it;
• 21 out of 33 members of Akhaltsikhe City Council have not exercised the right to speech at any sessions of the City Council. They have not provided their thoughts and have not provided reports, either;
• 5 out of 18 public officials of Akhaltsikhe City Council have submitted incomplete asset declarations;
• None of five active factions operating at the City Council have submitted initiatives. A total of GEL 178,934.4 was expended for the activities of factions.  
• In 2020, the Gender Equality Council has not carried out the analysis of the legal acts nor has it provided the expertise on the draft legal acts. It has not elaborated the monitoring and evaluation system for ensuring gender equality and has not prepared propositions and recommendations as well;
• During the research period, the members of the City Council were absent 136 times during 14 sessions of the City Council, out of which 126 absences were without a valid reason. The members of the City Council were absent 122 times during 36 sittings of the commissions, including only 2 absences - with a valid reason;
• A total of GEL 636,711.02 was allocated for the expenses of Akhaltsikhe City Council. GEL 555,098.77 was spent on the remunerations;
• The City Council consumed 36,045.87 litres of fuel in a single year with a total value of GEL 64,681.26. The largest portion of it was spent by the Chairman of the City Council - 4,739.68 litres (with a total value of GEL 8,052.32).