Court ruling forces Sysmä to rerun municipal manager selection

Sysmä must reopen its municipal manager recruitment after the Supreme Administrative Court rejected the municipality’s request for leave to appeal, Yle reports.

The municipal council chose Lasse Peltonen for the post in December 2024. Päivi Vauhkonen, who came second in the vote, argued that the selection was discriminatory. Vauhkonen and Sysmä councillor Jukka Elomaa appealed the decision to the administrative court.

In February, the Hämeenlinna Administrative Court overturned the appointment. It said the municipality’s decision records did not show what had influenced the council’s choice. The court considered Vauhkonen somewhat more qualified than Peltonen, giving rise to a presumption of discrimination.

The municipality’s executive board had sought leave to appeal rather than reopen the recruitment. The Supreme Administrative Court’s refusal means the administrative court’s ruling stands.

Executive board chair Eevakaisa Lehtosalo-Lönnberg said the post would be advertised again relatively soon, although no timetable has been set. The board is due to meet in a few weeks.

Lehtosalo-Lönnberg said the appeal outcome was not a major surprise. She said there had been several procedural errors during the process, adding that the municipality should learn from them and move forward. She did not believe the lengthy appeal process had hindered the municipality’s work.