Photo: Screenshot from video/Municipality of Nedelino
The chairman of the Municipal Council in Nedelino, Veselin Kehayov, announced a “roll call vote” during today’s session, but called on the councilors to raise their hands. The vote was on item 10 for opening a procedure for leasing municipal property – public municipal property.
How exactly did the “roll call” sound in the hall
“I give the floor for comments, colleagues. If there are none, let’s move on to the vote. The vote is by roll call. Those who agree with the proposed draft decision in the report to become a decision of today’s meeting, please vote by raising your hand.” The chair then announced: “13 in favor.”
This model of “roll call” voting is not a precedent, but a practice, as established by “Za Istinata” in the public video archive of the meetings (YouTube channel of the Municipal Council – Nedelino). Since the election of Veselin Kehayov as chairman of the Municipal Council on January 27, at all nine meetings at which a “roll call vote” was announced, he has invited the councilors to raise their hands instead of being called by name and declaring “for,” “against,” or “abstain.”
This phrase, “The vote is by roll call! All those in favor… please raise your hands,” is also present in the official minutes of the Municipal Council meetings. In minutes No. 23 of July 30, 2025, this “template” is repeated eight times when adopting decisions of the Municipal Council requiring a roll call vote.
Roll call means name by name
Roll call voting is not a gesture, but the strictest regime of accountability in the chamber, where the trace of the vote remains next to the name of each councilor. The Local Self-Government Act is crystal clear and leaves no room for interpretation: Article 27, paragraph 6 of the LSGA states literally – “Roll-call voting shall be carried out by announcing the names of the municipal councilors and noting the manner of voting.”
When is it mandatory by law
Roll-call voting is required for: the adoption/amendment of the budget and the report (item 6), the determination of local taxes (item 7), decisions on the acquisition, management, and disposal of municipal property (including leasing) (item 8), commercial companies with municipal participation (item 9), municipal loans and debt (item 10), municipal foundations (item 14), and participation in associations/legal entities with non-profit status (item 15) – and the result is recorded by name in the minutes.
Legal consequences are knocking on the door
Decisions adopted in violation of roll-call voting are subject to challenge. The regional governor may return them or challenge them in the administrative court, although he has never done so before. Interested parties may do so as well. If the court overturns the decision, everything starts all over again. At the cost of wasted time, compromised legitimacy, and political price for those who skipped reading the names.
