The State Control says that managing Narva's city-owned associations is difficult. This is because power changes often. Each time power changes, the members of the association boards also change. New members need time to understand the work. By the time they understand, they are replaced again. As a result, they do not understand the situation and problems of the associations well.
Janar Holm, the Auditor General, says for Narva’s associations, the board’s composition is more important than their activities or goals. The city of Narva influences seven associations. Their boards have three to seven members.
In 2011, a law was passed requiring local governments to set rules for participation in associations. However, Narva did not do this for 14 years. For example, one coalition changed the boards of six associations before it ended.
After the 2021 elections, Narva already had six different coalitions. In most associations, the board members changed four to five times. For example, the board of SA Narva Linnaelamu went through five political changes.
The State Control found that board members have difficulty understanding their role. They often do the work of the management, even though the board should focus on oversight and strategic management.
After the Narva Vee corruption case in 2019, Narva did not make big changes to the system of controlling associations. The current board did not pay enough attention to reducing corruption risks.
The audit commission checked only two of the seven associations. The State Control thinks this is not enough, especially after the Narva Vee case. There is also a risk if audit commission members are also on the association boards. This can lead to a conflict of roles.
The State Control recommends Narva’s city government to set rules for participation in associations and clearly define their goals. Narva’s city government agreed with these recommendations.