Yesterday was the Feast of the Assumption, and everyone rushed to churches and shrines. This makes sense, given that we’re talking about Kythira, where religious devotion runs deep. Politicians, local officials, and ordinary people once again filled the churches and monasteries. Myrtidiotissa was once again the focal point, although the mayor preferred Antikythira. In a post, he even made hints that are open to many interpretations. What does he mean by «I used to go to church before the elections, and I’ll keep going after them»? Could it be that this «after» is very close, and that is why he is preparing himself and his associates? The truth is, I sense a certain defeatism…
However, there has been a flurry of activity surrounding the «offering box» at the shrines. Were there simply «poorly worded remarks» in the oral discussion, or is there something more substantial at play? The Mayor of Kythira, Mr. Charhalakis, speaking at the special meeting held on the topic of Annual Report of the Kythira Local Property Committee and Antikythira on Sunday, August 6, 2023, in the «Artemios Kalligeros» Kythira Municipal Council Chamber, he addressed the management of revenue from church collection boxes and said: «The inclusion of places of worship in the Local Public Property creates conditions of transparency in the management of funds collected in the collection boxes. Kythira has the tremendous privilege of having church funds counted as public revenue. In other words, you can log into the Diafania transparency portal and see what candles were purchased and what chandeliers were dismantled. Can you imagine how different the situation would be if the holy shrines did not belong to the Local Church Property and their management were solely in the hands of the Metropolis? Which Metropolis in Greece has transparency? None. How is the money from the collection plates transferred to the rest of the country? We know very well. The church committee meets; there’s no public accounting—just a ledger, call it what you will—and it’s all handled among ourselves’…
What exactly does the mayor mean? Because I, for one, don't know how the money is taken from the church collection boxes. If the mayor has something to tell us, let him say it clearly and not in half-truths. In fact, Mr. Charhalakis is following up on what the chairman of the Local Property Committee, Mr.Venardos, that revenue in 2022 reached 100,000 euros, while expenses had dropped dramatically during the 2009–2015 period…
I think everyone has a duty to dispel any suspicion by making the detailed financial data on revenue from pilgrimages and churches publicly available. The way this information is posted on Diafania does not help in fully understanding what is happening with the collection boxes. There is an absolute need for transparency to refute (as we hope) the rumors and malicious claims. Unless, of course, there is something else going on…
However, other points were raised during the Local Council’s annual report that are worth discussing:
-As mentioned, «we reached out to the Regional Authority regarding the fuel issue because, if the Commission cares about the property of the people of Kythira, surely it won’t care about the residents» wallets here?« Is he perhaps taking a veiled jab at the mayor here? The mayor is the one who should have approached the Regional Authority; he is the one who should be concerned about the residents» wallets. All the more so since the president of the Local Council continued, «Six months have passed, and they haven’t done anything. But I won’t let them get away with this.» So, because the mayor and the regional government are doing nothing, the president has taken it upon himself to fill the gap???”;
-The response appears to have come from Deputy Mayor Mr. Sougiannis: «According to the law, the Municipality is the owner of the property. It is managed by the Local Authority. You have, on occasion, asked the Municipality and other property owners to notify you when they carry out work on streets for utility lines, etc. As the Local Property Committee, when you carry out work on buildings or in other situations, shouldn’t you, by analogy, request approval from the Municipality?’ At this point, we had to scratch our heads to figure out what the deputy mayor meant: Was he referring to the road construction toward Sematorio? Or something else? What exactly?;
What is certain, however, is that a frosty atmosphere now prevails between the mayor and the village council president. With all due caution, I will note the rumors that the position of council president has been narrowed down to three or four candidates so far (one of whom is a woman who supports the outgoing mayor).
It's a «nice atmosphere»…
