Savonlinna council pushes again to dismiss city manager after court overturns decision

Thirty-seven of Savonlinna’s 43 city councillors have signed a motion to terminate city manager Janne Laine’s employment, citing a continued lack of confidence, Yle reports.

The signatories argue that the grounds for Laine’s initial dismissal in April 2025 remain valid. That decision was later overturned by the Eastern Finland Administrative Court, which ruled procedural errors had denied Laine adequate opportunity to review and respond to all dismissal grounds. The court did not assess whether the loss of confidence was substantively justified.

The city has since applied to the Supreme Administrative Court for leave to appeal. Meanwhile, Savonlinna’s city board will consider the new motion and the potential re-establishment of a temporary committee in an extraordinary meeting on Friday. If approved, the committee would prepare a report for the city council’s August session.

Laine has served as Savonlinna’s city manager for nearly two decades.