Berezovsky’s Duma was divided by the election of the head
The satellite city of Yekaterinburg with the greatest potential – Berezovsky – has again become the center of political tension. In the competition for the election of the head, in opposition to the mayor Evgeny Pistsov, who was supported by the regional authorities, Duma Speaker Alexey Gorevoy was nominated, who was seen to be in the interests of businessman and ex-head Vyacheslav Brozovsky. The inclusion of the latter in the electoral processes is associated with disagreements with the mayor on issues of “proper development and construction of the municipality.” The population of Berezovsky is planned to increase to 150 thousand due to the construction of new housing, the interest of developers in the suburbs of Yekaterinburg with land for both new development and industrial real estate is only increasing, and new interests are joining the Dry Port project. For an influential businessman who owns a construction business and land plots, the publication’s interlocutors say, “the presence of a controlled mayor opens up new prospects.” However, the governor’s administration does not share such sentiments, trying with the current head to maintain a balance of interests of the population and business in an “investment-attractive region,” while many want to steer the interests.
The competition commission has finished collecting applications from candidates for the head of Berezovsky. 10 people expressed their desire to participate, but some of them will probably be eliminated based on the results of document verification before September 30.
Next, the candidates will present their programs to the competition commission, which will nominate at least two candidates for consideration by the Duma, whose meeting is scheduled for October 17.
The main contenders for the post of head are considered to be the current mayor Evgeniy Pistsov and Chairman of the City Duma Alexey Gorevoy. The lawyer also announced his participation Andrey Elantsevpreviously nominated for the post of head of the municipality.
The candidates are preparing to present their own programs, where the mayor indicates that he “intends to continue implementing the governor’s orders Evgenia Kuyvasheva“, complete the construction of treatment facilities and schools, resettle dilapidated housing, and build a sports complex. Opponents criticize him, pointing to the alleged redistribution of budget funds without the opinion of the Duma and “an inappropriate state of health for the city leadership to continue.”
Alexey Gorevoy, who had not previously shown mayoral ambitions, explains his nomination by the position of the Duma faction of United Russia, which he himself heads and expresses his intention to focus on initiative budgeting projects. “The administration has many competent employees. The core of the team will remain, but at the same time we’ll see how to adjust the structure and strengthen the team,” adds the candidate in a conversation with a correspondent of Pravda UrFO.
Even before the start of the selection process, deputies point out that the selection process is highly competitive. Friction arose even at the stage of creating a competition commission, at the head of which the members of the Duma initially proposed to appoint a representative of the municipality, and only after the intervention of the governor’s administration, the head of the Southern Administrative District became the chairman with the right to a decisive vote. Vladimir Shauraks.
Deputies prefer not to name their own preferences, but in conversations they share that the votes between Evgeniy Pistsov, supported by the regional authorities, and Alexei Gorev, whose patronage is provided by businessman Vyacheslav Brozovsky, are divided in approximately equal proportions. However, the entrepreneur’s supporters portray the situation differently, pointing out that 80% of the Duma is already ready to support Gorevoy.
The attempt to change the leadership of the municipality is associated with the desire of Vyacheslav Brozovsky, who owns at least 30 companies in various fields of activity, to increase his influence on budgets. “Good relations with the mayor,” the publication’s interlocutors note, were upset. An indicator of this was, in particular, the conflict surrounding the development of the village of Staropyshminsky, where the entrepreneur’s firms planned to build 5 multi-storey buildings. However, residents opposed it, and the mayor’s office allowed construction only if the number of floors was limited.
The administration also listened to the residents’ opinions when one of the individual entrepreneurs attempted to cut down the forest in the area of the eco-trail in Novoberezovsky.
Let us note that the regional authorities have long been betting on the development of Berezovsky as “an important industrial hub, as well as an area of active residential development near Yekaterinburg.” Near the city, Dry Port facilities are being actively built, where, for example, a warehouse complex for the Furniture Solutions company is currently being built for 7.5 thousand square meters. m with an investment of at least 450 million rubles.
Moreover, according to the general plan, by 2035 the population of Berezovsky should increase from up to 150 thousand people due to multi-storey and cottage development. The construction of apartment buildings on a plot of 20 hectares, for example, was announced by SZ Ekologika LLC (62% of the authorized capital is registered with Vitaly Butenko, 38% with Alexander Melishenko), the mayor’s office is delineating and preparing new quarters for development.
“During development, as a rule, people are interested in the position of the Berezovsky Mine – there are mines under the city, from which the company regularly pumps out water. The opinion of the mine is fundamental during construction to avoid the danger of collapse. The management of the enterprise has a working relationship with the current mayor’s office, and they refrain from interfering in political conflicts,” the publication’s interlocutor emphasizes.
While the political situation in the municipality, according to political scientist Anatoly Gagarin, is heating up, the parties will probably devote the next month to negotiations, including with representatives of the police department. A deputy from the local Duma says that “Brozovsky always perceived Pistsov as his pupil, whose career he shaped himself, so it will not be easy to break the master’s position.”