Leros Municipal Council: Clash over Waste Disposal Site and Bellenis Tower – 3rd Budget amendment passed by majority amid major issues

On Friday, 2 May 2025, at 11:00, the Leros Municipal Council convened via teleconference, with a single agenda item: the “Approval of the 3rd amendment to the 2025 municipal budget and technical programme”.

At the opening of the meeting, Mayor Timotheos Kottakis took the floor and emphasised that all municipal projects, actions, and policies are democratically discussed within the council. He criticised opposition leader Michalis Kolias, stating: “Mr Kolias takes photos outside the wounds he left behind and now demands explanations from us about why we haven’t fixed them yet.”

Dispute over waste management

Continuing his remarks, Mayor Kottakis responded to a press release from Mr Kolias regarding the critical issue of the uncontrolled waste disposal site (Ch.A.D.A.), briefly revisiting historical developments.

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Specifically, Mayor Kottakis accused Mr Kolias of deceiving residents in the broader areas of Xirokampos and Temenia in 2010 regarding the location of the landfill site (initially designated as Sanitary Landfill for Municipal Waste (Ch.Y.T.A.) and later Residual Waste Sanitary Landfill (Ch.Y.T.Y.)). He stated: “The landfill site was planned in 1999 as part of a national and European framework, meaning the location could never have been changed, despite Mr Kolias previously misleading residents.”

Mayor Kottakis further stated that on “27 October 2014, Mr Kolias suddenly remembered the waste issue again and signed a contract worth €186,600 with a consultant to ‘investigate’ alternative landfill sites, only to end up with exactly the same location designated in 1999, the current Uncontrolled Waste Disposal Site (Ch.A.D.A.).”

Additionally, the mayor highlighted that in 2018, eight years into Mr Kolias’s tenure, the Municipality of Leros received funding for the Residual Waste Sanitary Landfill (RWLF – (Ch.Y.T.Y.)). Regarding the tons of baled waste piled up at Uncontrolled Waste Disposal Site (Ch.A.D.A.), Mayor Kottakis noted:

“Under Michalis Kolias, our municipality would have spent around €2.5 million solely to transport these bales to Crete. Now, thanks to our municipal administration’s effective contacts and assistance from the Ministry of Migration, the Regional Governor, and Solid Waste Management Authority of South Aegean (FODSA), these 17,500 tonnes will be transferred to Rhodes at zero cost for Leros Municipality.”

Belleni Tower at the forefront

Regarding Belleni Tower, Mayor Kottakis addressed Mr Kolias directly: “You took a picture in front of Belleni Tower, accusing us of plunging Leros into darkness.” He presented an official document dated 7 April 2023, signed by an engineer and special advisor under the previous administration, clearly stating the building required urgent maintenance and repair.

Mayor Kottakis subsequently detailed the current municipal administration’s actions regarding studies for the repair and maintenance of Belleni Tower, implying the restoration costs would be considerable.

Michalis Kolias’s response

Michalis Kolias then responded, defending his actions as mayor, stating: “Mr Kottakis, what exactly has Solid Waste Management Authority (FODSA) done in the past five years to deliver a Residual Waste Sanitary Landfill (RWLF) site today and prevent criminal waste dumping practices?”

Mr Kolias also outlined the funding Leros received during his tenure, detailing previous waste management efforts. He corrected Mayor Kottakis, saying, “Residual Waste Sanitary Landfill (RWLF – (Ch.Y.T.Y.)) is very different from Sanitary Landfill for Municipal Waste – (Ch.Y.T.A.)”, specifically referencing the Tsigounas area site selection.

3rd budget amendment approved by majority

During discussions on the 3rd amendment to the Municipal Budget and Technical Programme, comments were made by the mayor Timotheos Kottakis and councillors, Mr Akis Grekos, Mrs Anna Tachliampouri, Nikos Spyrou, Nektarios Bilis, and Michalis Kolias. Although there was general consensus on proposed projects, opposition members, except for Mr Akis Grekos, voiced objections regarding expenditures related to “consultancy services” for the technical department.

Besides Mayor Kottakis, who claimed the opposition was merely seeking excuses to reject the amendment, municipal officials Mr Ellinas (Director) and Mr Ignatidis (Supervisor) also defended the legality of these procedures, noting they were identical to consultancy practices under Mr Kolias’s administration.

Ultimately, the 3rd budget amendment was approved by a majority vote.

Notably, councillor Mrs Anna Tachliampouri abstained from voting, contrary to the overall stance of the opposition, for reasons she presented to the council, while independent councillor -and ex Deputy Mayor- Mr Akis Grekos voted in favour, detailing his rationale to the council.

TIMOTHEOS KOTTAKIS: “THE OPPOSITION SAID ‘NO’ TO CRITICAL PROJECTS”

Regarding this session, Mayor Kottakis issued a press release stating:

“In today’s Municipal Council session (2 May 2025), the 3rd amendment to our municipal budget was approved by a majority vote, including—among others—the following projects:

• Open Swimming Pool – (€830,000 – Ministry of Migration)
• Maintenance and Operation of desalination units (2,000 cubic metres/day) – (€327,000 – Ministry of Shipping)
• Sewage system for Xirokampos–Temenia – (€2,940,000 – Ministry of Migration)
• Construction of new classrooms at Bellenio Gymnasium – (€1,500,000)
• New playgrounds and outdoor gyms – (€300,000 – Dodecanese Development Agency)
• New 1,000 m³ desalination unit with accompanying works – (€2,491,000 – Ministry of Environment)
• Restoration and new electromechanical equipment at Municipal Cinema Theatre – (€500,000)
• Restoration of the Italian radio building
• Repair and maintenance of the Agia Marina windmill
• New floating dock at Vromolithos
• Procurement of standalone photovoltaic streetlights and municipal lighting network expansions
• Water supply Master Plan, necessary for future funding opportunities
• Funding for sports clubs
• Republication of historical books for our Municipal Library following a proposal by the Culture Committee

The opposition voted NO to these projects, effectively opposing their realisation. One opposition member abstained, effectively stating ‘none of these projects matter to me,’ while the amendment was approved by the entire governing group and independent councillor Mr Akis Grekos.

Behold the opposition of the Municipality of Leros.
No one will halt our island’s progress.

LEROS IS CHANGING”.

Watch the entire session (in Greek):