- The city council in Nitra called on Marek Hattas and Henrich Varga to return their severance pay.
- The mayor’s communications advisor cost the city approximately sixty thousand euros a year.
- The position of adviser to the mayor was canceled shortly after the announcement of Varga’s candidacy for county mayor.
The city council in Nitra approved a resolution calling on Mayor Marek Hattas and his former communications advisor Henrich Varga to ensure the return of the severance pay that the city paid to Varga. According to the deputies, the payment of severance pay is contrary to the principles of the code of ethics of the city of Nitra.
On February 7 of this year, Varga announced his candidacy for the post of chairman of the Nitra Autonomous Region (NSK). Subsequently, on February 12, the city management decided to abolish the position of advisor to the mayor for communication.
According to the deputies, the abolition of the position of adviser to the mayor was purposeful with the sole aim of giving Varga the right to severance pay, which they described as a golden parachute. Jthe city did not disclose its amount, according to the deputies, it is roughly 25,000 to 29,000 euros.
Varga held the position of adviser to the mayor for communications for seven years. The city council has repeatedly requested the abolition of this position for several years. According to them, it was purposefully created, did not bring any benefit to the city and consumed approximately 60,000 euros from citizens’ taxes every year.
The function did not fall under the department of communication and promotion, but directly under the mayor’s office. Deputy Miloš Dovičovič pointed out that in the entire modern history of the city, no mayor employed a political functionary of his own political party, with the exception of Hattas.
Hattas, according to his own statements, considered the council’s calls to cancel the position of adviser as political settling of accounts and called the entire discussion on this topic unnecessary. The mayor responded in a similar way to the current council resolution. According to him, Varga brought more positive changes to the city. “I don’t want to go back to it, make it a political farce,” he stated.
According to the mayor, Varga is entitled to the legal minimum, which is based on the collective agreement, as well as the legal minimum from the notice period. According to Varga, the members’ statements are a purposeful political reaction to his announced candidacy for the post of NSK chairman.
