Whilst expenditure is declining or remaining at the previous level across all social and infrastructure items in Veliky Novgorod, Yabloko notes a sharp, unjustified growth in spending on the management apparatus. Facts clearly confirm the position of party members in the region: over two years, officials’ salaries have grown by 2.5 times; expenditure on Mayor Alexander Rozbaum’s remuneration now amounts to 7.7 million roubles per year (it should be recalled he previously received 4.3 million), Duma Chairman Konstantin Somov – 6 million roubles (it was 3.3 million); every fifth rouble from residents’ taxes goes to officials’ salaries, whilst expenditure under this item has grown by 440 million roubles in a year.

“It is abnormal when the mayor’s salary is 10-15 times higher than a teacher’s salary,” Anna Cherepanova emphasises. “Not a single sector of the region’s economy knows such rates. Moreover, the growth in officials’ salaries has provoked a budget deficit. That is, to ‘feed’ himself and the apparatus, the mayor now proposes going into debt.”

Thus, in 2026 the city will attract 3.3 billion roubles in expensive bank loans at 20% per annum. These funds will repay almost free budget loans and finance the budget deficit caused by growth in officials’ salaries. Debt servicing expenditure will grow by 3,800% and amount to 253 million roubles. Over the next three years, 1.5 billion roubles in interest alone will be paid to banks.

“Mayor Alexander Rozbaum together with mayor’s office officials declare that there is not enough money to support families, improve courtyards, repair nurseries, execute court decisions on capital repairs of apartment blocks, modernise street lighting, landscaping and solve other pressing problems. We know that the matter is not the absence of money, but the absence of conscience and a professional approach to city management,” Anna Cherepanova states.

She reminds: the country faces demographic decline, economic stagnation, rising prices, tariffs and taxes, and declining real incomes of the poorest sections of the population. In this difficult period for Russia, the Mayor of Veliky Novgorod and city authorities are using their position for personal enrichment. “This is real betrayal of Novgorod residents’ interests and a moral catastrophe,” the Yabloko faction leader states.

Speaking at the Duma session on 26 November, Anna Cherepanova separately noted that Yabloko has always proposed directing efforts towards stopping senseless and ineffective expenditure, fighting corruption, strengthening expenditure control, and financing social obligations and development projects. At the same time, today’s city leadership, its management methods and in particular the proposed budget draft not only do not open prospects for Veliky Novgorod, but obviously place the mayor’s private interests above the interests of the city he governs. “The Yabloko faction expresses no confidence in you and proposes that you resign,” Anna Cherepanova stated at the Duma session on 26 November.

Nevertheless, the draft budget passed the first reading stage almost unimpeded and was adopted by the votes of 25 deputies from pro-government’s faction – United Russia, A Just Russia, LDPR, New People and the Pensioners’ Party.