Around 3,500 local authority politicians could pay significant fines if they do not close in due time the accounts of the 1,168 parishes that are destined to be dissolved as part of the government’s austerity measures.
The politicians could be facing fines between €2,550 and €18,360, which would come out of their own pockets, if they do not abide by the rules enforced by the Court of Auditors.
According to a Court of Auditors document made public in August, the settlement of the accounts of the dissolved parishes should be closed and forwarded to the Court of Auditors within a 45-day period, after the parishes’ new governing bodies take control. Access to all the financial data needed to close the former parishes’ accounts should also be available within that time.
Besides the mayors, other members of these governing bodies, such as treasurers and the parishes’ secretaries, could also be subject to fines.
