Burgas Mayor Dimitar Nikolov proposes to the Municipal Council to approve monthly limits for revenue collection and for the realization of expenditures on the municipal budget for the first three months of 2026. In a report submitted for consideration by the permanent committees to the council, he emphasizes that the measure is necessary due to the unadopted State Budget Law of the Republic of Bulgaria for 2026 by the National Assembly. The proposal is expected to be put to a vote during the regular session of the Municipal Council in Burgas next week.
The mayor's report states that after two unsuccessful attempts to adopt a state financial framework by the end of 2025, the municipalities are placed in a situation of difficult management of local finances. This happens in the conditions of a period of active introduction of the euro as the official currency in the country. According to Dimitar Nikolov, the lack of a voted budget creates a high risk of delays or blocking of municipal programs, projects, and initiatives, including those financed by the European Union.
He explains that the proposed mechanism is based on the Public Finances Act and the so-called extension law, which is in force from January 1, 2026, and will apply for a period of up to three months. It is planned that expenditures for salaries and social payments will be a priority and will be made in full. The report also highlights the possibility of securing the capital program of Burgas Municipality, giving the opportunity to finance projects through the Bulgarian Development Bank and the use of transitional balances from the previous year. The mayor also proposes that the Municipal Council give consent to cover the lack of funds for EU-funded projects through interest-free loans from budget accounts until their recovery from the managing bodies.