Mayor in Odesa region had to leave village session with security guards

Mayor Serhiy Dimitriev left the premises of the Vynohradivka village council under police guard due to a conflict between the village council and residents.

According to the publication Rayon.Bolhrad, residents of the village of Vynohradivka blocked the exits from the session hall of the Bolhrad City Council on December 25, 2025, after the deputies rejected a proposal to reduce the land tax.

For two months, residents have been seeking a reduction in the tax rate from 0.5% to 0.03-0.1%, as it is ten times higher than in neighboring communities.

The conflict arose after a new regulatory monetary valuation of land plots was approved on May 30, 2024. According to the new estimate, owners of 25-hectare plots will have to pay between UAH 4.9 thousand and 5.2 thousand per year at the current rate of 0.5%. A comparison with the rates in neighboring communities in the Bolhrad district revealed a significant difference.

At the 107th session, the deputies considered reducing the rate to 0.04%, but the commissions proposed a compromise - 0.23%. The vote did not go in favor of the residents, which led to a blockade of the hall.

Residents of Vynohradivka tried to resolve the issue in a different way for two months: they spoke at the 105th session of the city council, filed a collective appeal on November 24 demanding to verify the legality of the land assessment, and had a three-hour conversation with the mayor on December 17.

Emma Kishlali, a representative of the residents, emphasized that the land tax for residential development is not a tax on profits, but a tax on the very right to live on one's own land. She referred to Article 140 of the Constitution of Ukraine on the right of citizens to participate in solving local issues.

The Finance Commission, along with the Land Commission and the deputies, are to consider the issue again on December 25. The next session is scheduled for December 26 at 14:00. The new decision, if adopted, will come into force on January 1, 2026.

Кирило Бойко