Korpivaara alleges lack of transparency in Jyväskylä council project decision

Päivi Korpivaara, a Green Party deputy councilor, has filed a complaint citing a lack of essential information provided to city council members regarding a project involving ten companies. Korpivaara asserts that critical documents, such as shareholder and company agreements, were withheld. She has previously left the Green Party and now claims to have joined the Center Party, announcing her complaint in a press release. However, Joonas Könttä, the leader of the Center Party’s council group, stated that Korpivaara has not been accepted into their group and remains a Green Party deputy councilor.

In her complaint, Korpivaara argues that a €155 million leasing finance agreement was concealed from those making the decision, with key details such as interest rates not being disclosed. Additionally, she alleges that a €4.8 million transaction concerning a commercial and residential property, with the City of Jyväskylä as the seller, was also kept secret. Korpivaara states that the property should have been identified by its property identification number.

The Jyväskylä city manager, Timo Koivisto, refutes Korpivaara’s claims, emphasizing that the decision regarding the Hippos Project—a large sports and recreation center—was passed with a substantial majority in the council, which received all necessary information. Koivisto points out that the decision-making procedure has been previously tested in administrative court, where similar decisions were upheld.

He notes that councilors were adequately informed about the agreements with companies and clarifies that the city council did not directly handle those agreements, as they were approved by the city board. Koivisto assures that every detail was thoroughly reviewed by the board.

(Note: Information was corrected on November 3, 2024, regarding Korpivaara’s affiliation with the Center Party.)