Nedelino Municipal Council formalised the status of an electric Ford Transit Custom acquired through a European project, declaring it public municipal property. The decision was approved unanimously on 19 May, with all 13 councillors voting in favour. There was no debate and not a single question was raised about the purchase, the supplier or the price of the vehicle.
Rather than using their powers to scrutinise the deal, the council effectively formalised the status of an already acquired vehicle, while its stated social purpose appeared to be enough to discourage any questions about the purchase.
The mayor’s submission provides the make and model of the vehicle, its power, colour, chassis number and engine number. What it does not provide are basic details about the purchase itself: there is no price, no name of the supplier and no explanation of why this particular vehicle was considered the most suitable for Nedelino’s social services.
Nor is there any analysis of whether the vehicle’s specifications meet the municipality’s actual needs. There is no information on how many people it will serve, which routes it will cover, how its use will be monitored or how the charging station will be used.
The argument of “social care” has therefore effectively become a catch-all explanation, making further questions appear unnecessary.
When a vehicle is acquired through a European project, the logic seems even simpler: if it was bought under a project, the purchase must be in order. And because it is electric, it is automatically presented as a modern solution, without any need to explain how it was selected or how much it cost.
Why the urgency?
Particularly striking is the section of the mayor’s submission calling for the decision to take effect immediately.
It cites the risk of the electric vehicle being “unable to be used for its intended purpose”, “difficulties in providing social services” and a “risk of delays in the implementation of project activities”.
But behind these serious-sounding arguments there are once again no specific facts.
The document does not say which social service would be disrupted if the vehicle were not put into use immediately. Nor does it say how many people depend on it or why social care services have been provided without it until now.
Another question remains unanswered: why does registering the vehicle with the traffic authorities suddenly become a matter of “particular public interest” when the purchase has already been completed and the vehicle is already in the municipality’s possession?
“And other activities of public interest”
Another phrase in the decision also stands out. The vehicle is to be used for social services, but also for “other activities of public interest”.
That wording leaves considerable room for interpretation.
It is unclear what exactly those “other activities” include, who will authorise the vehicle’s use and whether there will be a public record of its journeys and costs.
No rules for its use, trip sheets or mechanism for monitoring when the vehicle is being used for social services and when it is being used for other purposes are specified.
And once again, the Municipal Council asked no questions.
The standing Budget and Finance Committee also backed the proposal without raising any concerns.
So the story of the electric vehicle, valued at around €55,000, did not end with the supply contract. It continues with a decision officially declaring it public municipal property, while leaving the most basic questions about its acquisition and future use unanswered.
The decision is No. 309, recorded in Protocol No. 33 of the Nedelino Municipal Council meeting held on 19 May 2026.
