Transparency International Georgia assessed the activities carried out by the representative body of Kutaisi municipality - the City Council (Hereinafter Kutaisi City Council) in 2020.

The report is based on the information requested and received from the City Council and on observations of our organization. The research covers the period of 2020.

Transparency International Georgia evaluated [1]Kutaisi City Council’s performance in 2020 as well. The study covered the period from November 2017 to 2019.

Main Findings

• Kutaisi City Council has not invited an independent audit for the assessment of the municipal bodies;
• During the reporting period, the Mayor of Kutaisi has not presented a report to the City Council of Kutaisi;
• Kutaisi City Council held 19 sessions, including 9 extraordinary sessions;
• Kutaisi City Council has adopted 35 resolutions, 34 of which have been authored/ initiated by Kutaisi City Hall and 1 - by the Chairman of the City Council and the Commission on Legal Issues;
• Only three out of five factions of Kutaisi City Council addressed the City Council with initiatives. The factions had a total of 10 initiatives during the reporting period;
• The Gender Equality Council of the City Council of Kutaisi reviewed the draft 2020 budget of Kutaisi municipality, elaborated recommendations and legislative proposals as well. It should be noted that the City Council of previous convocation did not have a gender equality council at all, therefore, the establishment of this council should be considered as a positive change;
• 4 out of 16 public officials of the City Council of Kutaisi submitted their asset declarations with discrepancies;
• The members of the City Council were absent from the sessions of the City Council 168 times in total. Among the members of the City Council, Vladimir Kldiashvili (18 sessions, United National Movement) and Davit Gogisvanidze (18 sessions, European Georgia) were the ones with most absences. Grigol Shushania and Besik Bregadze (17 sessions, United National Movement) are also among the leaders in terms of having the most number of absences.
• GEL 857,713 was spent on remunerations in the City Council of Kutaisi. The members of the Staff of the City Council and the contract-based employees received GEL 55,550 in total as bonuses, rewards and allowances;
• The City Council of Kutaisi spent GEL 98,129 on fuel;
• Members of the Staff of the City Council and the members of the City Council spent GEL 4,418 in total on business trips within the country and abroad.