Concern in the town halls. “I didn't have enough people who didn't know how to press the buttons? I brought out of the private and you tell me to leave?”
The mayors are looking forward to the discussions in the ruling coalition, because they still do not know how the “administrative reform” will work. Try to reduce as much as possible from expenses, but the reduction of staff today will complicate the activity, a mayor of the commune shows.
After the employee's protest is prepared an Adu PHOTO protest: Collage Protest
Earlier this week, employees from mayors from all over the country protested in Bucharest, signaling that the reduction of staff without a thorough analysis will place the institutions in an extremely difficult situation. According to the protest organized by the unions in the administration, another will follow another, of the Association of Communes of Romania (ASCU), because the mayors are dissatisfied with the scenarios that are put in front of them.
Daniel Pană, the vice -president of ADUC – Olt branch, is the mayor of Giuvărăști commune. The commune has almost 2,000 inhabitants, most vegetable growers, being a famous locality where vegetables are produced in protected spaces. On the scenarios conveyed, at the maximum percentage of personnel discount the City Hall should send two employees at home, given that all employees have the cumulation of tasks, says the mayor. Daniel Pană advocates instead for an analysis of each situation, in order to be able to determine whether the volume of work can be supported with fewer employees. Otherwise, in the town halls there has been talk for some time about where savings can be made.
“I stopped lighting: a bulb yes, one ba”
“Everyone wants to make reform And it's normal, after all. We must be new realists, we will look at each other in the garden. Dom'le, what can we do? How much do we produce? How much can we spend? So much! That's it! I agree that you must support the research, support and part of the budget, support education, health, that it cannot be without health. But they took it too quickly to the budget, to the mayors in particular, that – we cut their source of income, to remain strictly what they receive. They have to corroborate them with several factors: the number of population, their own revenues … I see what other resources could have the locality. And there are some people who have worked so far for those communities, I don't think they have been. Or if they exist, to make some assessments, to see where they stay and send them home ”, he thinks the mayor of Oltene Giuvărăști.
In the town hall, calculations have been made for a long time to decide where saving can be made, but the dismissals would be far into account.
“Each of us is thinking about this option, not to spend a lot of money. We also stopped lighting, a bulb yes, one. And you tell me that I do not take measures to reduce the expenses. Well, I want to reduce, but I can't send any people at home, that tomorrow they go to cut the grass, who cuts it? Bolojan? ”, adds the mayor.
The town halls, the mayor thinks, should be evaluated even according to the level of his own income, which may eventually be an indicator of the work volume. In the localities with potential and resources, the officials also have work, says Pană. “If we receive between 1,500,000 and 2,000,000 lei a year, only to collect we have to talk to people. They come to the City Hall permanently with car registration, we sell them … you cannot treat everyone unitary, it is impossible, you do not get an expected result, you get an error”, warns the mayor.
The concern also included the edils, which are prepared including for a resizing of the revenues they receive from the state budget. However, it will need more to be able to even manage their activity and funds. Even the reduction of staff could be done, but over time and with the prior change in the legislation, believes Daniel Pană.
“To modify the law in which to say that a territorial administrative unit can operate with from 3 to 5, 15, or up to 20 employees. And that the mayor can play the drum, the saxophone, the violin, the bass, that is, to make cashier and civil status, to go to the field, to go to Slatina, to go after projects and after the opinions and so on. I still need a secretary, who will stay here and verify the law, otherwise we get over our heads. And another man, as well, to play more tools. But without the modification of the law it cannot be. We have the person who holds the financial control visa on income. He cannot hold it for expenses. I am writing to the Agricultural Register. Who writes them? After modifying the law to say – I allow five officials. And then, their own revenues, cumulative with what they give me, to secure my salary ceiling and to light the bulb here ”, supports the mayor.
The employees of the Giuvărăști City Hall protested Photo: FB/Daniel Pană
At this moment, a number of construction works, especially since the institution's patrimony also have machines, bought on European funds, are made with employees of the City Hall. If the question arises to leave people home, some of the responsibilities will return directly to the citizens, and for another part you could ask the problem that the City Hall should be contracted, in which case, the mayor reports, no longer understands why the savings can be, if not the reduction of staff is simply an objective assumed by the governors, without being related to the fund.
Increasing taxes and taxes, small impact in the locality budget
From the expected increase in the level of taxes and taxes, local budgets will not earn much, so that they will allow them to support this money, says the mayor. From the amounts paid by taxpayers in a year, taxes for houses and land only if they total 70,000 -80,000 lei, sufficient amount to pay a feasibility study.
“A certain taxpayer in Giuvărăști, at the moment, if he pays an amount of 2,000 lei, somewhere between 800 and 1,000 lei there are taxes on the means of transport. He pays sanitation and sewerage about 600 lei. He had situations when I discovered people who pay for a home 60 lei, or 20 lei. add more wedge.
Digitalization that for now complicates things
The computerization of the services, which is being talked about, has started for a long time in these institutions. Until the national databases will be interconnected, however, will be a long time. Today, if a citizen presents himself at the City Hall of Giuvărăști for a civil status act, which can now be issued at any point of the country, the procedure implies not only scan the documents and their introduction into a certain database, but also the query of the similar service from the applicant's home, which must confirm the authenticity of certain data.
“If a certificate of death of someone is requested, we need all the data and documents of the deceased. Let us scan them, to put them in the program, to validate them where he was born, in Bistrita, to say. Until they validate them, we do not go further. Divorce, one, two, three, five, and they must be loaded in the system. explains the mayor.
Although more and more citizens have opted for electronic identity cards, not all institutions have reading devices, so citizens still come to mayors for issuing certificates available through these electronic books. And the examples on how digitization works for the time being more on paper can continue.
The mayor of Giuvărăști commune, Daniel Pană Photo: FB/Daniel Pană
“If we are in the situation to give two people out, I don't know which to give. If you choose between officials who work with the documents … not only are they on unique functions, but they have more duties. The cashier also has a civil status. The one with public procurement also has projects, social assistance is also with the Community Medical Center, Community nurse
The administrative reform is one of the topics that give great headaches to the members of the ruling coalition, and in the meeting on Wednesday, September 17, 2025, the subject being discussed. About 13,000 employees should leave the town halls, a perspective that took officials in the street, after previously protested by suspending, in certain mayors, the activity with the public.
