Property tax valuations will be updated in three steps with the 2027 budget. They have not changed in nearly 20 years, said Konstantin Prodanov, chair of the budget committee in parliament, at the plenary session of the Annual Meeting of Local Authorities in Albena.

Valuations should be updated more often, Prodanov said. Otherwise, every 10 or 15 years there are sudden big rises. The local tax rules will also have to be updated.

Money is set aside for the municipal investment programme, even though the financial situation is hard at the moment, the committee chair said. He said no projects will be left unpaid and no streets left dug up, and everything will be finished. The regional development ministry (MRRB) has assured that there is no deliberate delay in payments to municipalities and that the money is paid out as fast as possible.

Prodanov gave no details on the proposals of the National Association of Municipalities (NSORB), because the draft 2027 budget is not yet in parliament.

The way municipal projects are funded will change. Until now, the main test has been how ready a project is. In future, the first things that count will be the municipality's capacity, whether the project solves long-term problems and whether it is tied to specific results.

Governments have changed often in the past 5 years, so there is no clear picture of what will be funded and how.

For about a decade, local authorities have pushed for financial decentralisation. Prodanov personally thinks it has not happened because there was not enough money. In his view, it may be better for the state first to help municipalities collect local taxes and fees more successfully.

Prodanov appealed to municipalities not to put the problem off but to look for a solution, and assured them they will always get help from central government.

In September we reported that property tax valuations in Burgas will jump by 100% by 2029. According to MP Stefan Belchev, a 30% rise is planned for 2027, and the valuations have not changed since 2007.

The household waste fee based on the "polluter pays" principle is new and is yet to be introduced. Prodanov said there is no single solution that fits all municipalities. People must first hear what they are paying for, and then they may understand. In small municipalities this is easier, while in big cities information campaigns will run into difficulties. Prodanov called for tighter checks on dumping waste in unauthorised places and for tougher legal penalties for offenders.