Siikalatva weighs complaint against council member over heating dispute

Siikalatva municipality in North Ostrobothnia is considering a criminal complaint against council member Juha Myllynen after he appealed a municipal loan guarantee for a local heating company. The dispute also concerns the company’s recruitment of a district heating installer, Yle reports.

Siikalatvan Vesi ja Lämpö, the municipality’s water and heating company, hired a former chair of its board as an installer. Myllynen, who is unhappy with the appointment, says it raised questions about whether the loan guarantee had been prepared independently.

In his appeal to the Northern Finland Administrative Court, Myllynen seeks to have the municipal council’s guarantee decision overturned or sent back for reconsideration. He argues that the preparation included inadequate financial information and assessment of the company’s ability to repay, and that the process was rushed and did not sufficiently assess the project as a whole.

Municipal manager Pekka Iivari says the guarantee was prepared appropriately and that the recruitment was handled properly. He says company boards and management are responsible for hiring, and that individual appointments are not matters for the municipal board or elected officials.

Documents provided to the municipality reportedly say Myllynen had offered to withdraw his appeal if the company reversed its hiring decision. Iivari says the information gives grounds to request an investigation. Myllynen denies using his appeal to pressure anyone, saying he wants municipal decisions to be made on ethically sustainable principles.

The matter is due to go before the municipal council. Iivari says the municipal board must ask an elected official for an explanation if there are likely grounds to suspect an official offence or a breach of duties, and may propose further action, including a criminal complaint.