Penza lost both chapters – Newspaper Kommersant No. 237 (7438) of 12/21/2022

The head of the administration of Penza, Alexander Basenko, and the head of the city, Vladimir Mutovkin, resigned ahead of schedule at their own request. Decisions on the resignation of both leaders were taken on Tuesday at an extraordinary meeting of the City Duma. In addition, the deputies approved amendments to the charter of Penza, according to which the head of the city administration will become the sole mayor (now the chairman of the city duma has the status of the head of the city). The expert recalls that the inefficient “two-headed” system of municipal government has already been abandoned in many regions.

On December 20, the Penza City Duma accepted the voluntary resignation of four representatives of the city leadership at once – the head of the city administration Alexander Basenko, the head of the city Vladimir Mutovkin, as well as his deputies Oleg Zinoviev and Ivan Krasnov, who worked on a free basis. Initially, it was assumed that at an extraordinary meeting, the deputies would consider only amendments to the charter of Penza, proposed by the communist Andrei Zhdannikov and approved at public hearings in the city administration. But immediately after the start of the meeting, Mr. Mutovkin said that the City Duma had received applications for early resignation from the four leaders mentioned.

Charter amendments were considered first question and accepted without discussion. According to these changes, the chairman of the City Duma, who was previously part-time head of the city, will lose this status, remaining only a speaker elected by deputies from among themselves.

And the head of the city administration, who will be elected by competition, will become the sole mayor: any citizen, including a deputy of the city duma, who, if elected, is obliged to resign, will be able to participate in it.

The head of Penza will represent the city and its administration in relations with local governments of other territories and manage the work of the administration, while the chairman of the Penza City Duma will limit himself to “organizing the activities” of the assembly of deputies.

Alexander Basenko, whose resignation was considered immediately after the amendments to the charter, refused to talk about the reasons for his decision, answering the communist Alexander Smirnov that “he voiced all the reasons in a statement: at his own request.” Vladimir Mutovkin, commenting on his resignation, admitted that it was connected with changes in the charter, which can only come into force after the termination of the powers of the current head of the city. “I believe that the amendments should enter into force as soon as possible. This can happen if I resign voluntarily. I think that the changes in the charter of the city are justified, they will benefit the city. This motivated me to write a statement,” he explained.

In connection with the resignations of Vladimir Mutovkin and Alexander Basenko, the amendments to the charter should come into force immediately after their official publication.

At the meeting, Oleg Chaliapin, the only deputy of Mr. Mutovkin, who retained his post, was elected acting head of the city: his task will be to open and hold a meeting of the City Duma, at which its new speaker will be elected. Oleg Denisov, the first deputy of Mr. Basenko, will temporarily act as the head of the city administration.

Whether Alexander Basenko, who has resigned, will participate in the upcoming competition for the post of head of the city, is still unknown. In a comment to local media, he only said that he would “decide on this issue later.”

Political scientist Alexander Tuzov notes that there is no reliable information about the future head of the city in Penza. “Such decisions in the region are made by one person (Governor Oleg Melnichenko.— “b”) who knows how to remain silent. Most likely, it will become known on Friday, when the next meeting of the City Duma takes place. Two options are being considered: Oleksandr Basenko will keep the chair or Oleg Denisov, appointed acting head of the administration, will head the mayor’s office. The latter previously headed the Zheleznodorozhny district, enjoys authority and is quite capable of working as the head of the city, ”the expert believes. In his opinion, the fundamental point in everything that happened is not so much the figure of the new head of Penza, but the departure from the “two-headed” management system: “The former configuration of power is unprofitable for a normal leader, as it implies the erosion of responsibility. In many regions, such a system of government has long since gone.”

Sergey Petunin, Saratov