Kallas, who stepped down from his previous stint as mayor in 2020 at a time when Saaremaa had among the highest coronavirus rates not only in Estonia, but in Europe, said that "I am four years more experienced [than his previous term], I have gained experience in other areas in Tallinn, and I think this is already changing something, I think only for the better."

"Music school teachers, sports school teachers, employees of our social system and other areas of the municipality all deserve a higher salary, and they all deserve better conditions than are the case today. That is one of my main priorities - to start dealing with it immediately," he told AK.

The council session which elected Kallas also approved increases in the salaries municipality members, at least, and the council's chair, AK reported.

The latter will now receive €4,000 per month gross, while Kallas himself gets €4,400.

Four auxiliary elders (Vanavallem) elected at the same session will receive €3,600 gross per month.

Saaremaa rural municipality will be ruled by a tripartite coalition consisting of Reform Party, the Center Party, and the Terve Saaremaa, an electoral alliance, which Kallas ran for. 

Two members of the new composition of the rural municipality, Mikk Tuisk (Terve Saaremaa), who was Saaremaa mayor after Kallas resigned in April 2020 until the October local elections, and Koit Voojärv (Reform), have to vacate their council seats as a result, and will be replaced by Marili Niits (Terve Saaremaa) and Andrus Raun (Reform).

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