Nine municipalities turn to Supreme Court over forced mergers
Järva County's Koeru Municipality on Thursday joined a previous eight municipalities to contest forced municipal mergers in the Supreme Court of Estonia.
Koeru Municipality is against being forced to merge and is demanding the right to voluntarily merge with Lääne-Viru County's Rakke Municipality, which would create Piibe Municipality, with a combined population of 3,700 and budget of nearly €6 million.
Last week, Tõstamaa Municipality (Pärnu County), Emmaste Municipality (Hiiu County), Illuka Municipality (Ida-Viru County), Pala Municipality (Jõgeva County) and Kambja and Ülenurme Municipalities (Tartu County) appealed to the Constitutional Review Chamber of the Supreme Court of Estonia.
This week, Lasva Municipality appealed to the Supreme Court, as it was not satisfied with being forced to merge with Orava, Vastseliina, Sõmerpalu and Võru Municipalities to form one larger Võru Municipality. Mikitamäe Municipality was likewise unsatisfied with the planned forced merger with Meremäe and Värska Municipalities and the Luhamaa nulk of Misso Municipality, which will establish the new Setomaa Municipality.
The Constitutional Review Chamber of the Supreme Court has four months to conduct the constitutional review requested by the municipalities, Supreme Court spokesperson Merje Talvi told ERR.
Editor: Aili Vahtla