Varna still has no 2026 budget: council and mayor disagree
Varna has no adopted 2026 budget. The council wants Mayor Kotsev to submit a corrected draft; he says it was filed in August. Both positions explained.
Varna is entering the last two months of 2026 without an adopted city budget, and the Municipal Council and Mayor Blagomir Kotsev disagree on who must take the next step. On 29 October councillors asked the mayor to submit the draft with all corrections; on 30 October Kotsev said it had been filed at the end of August and asked the council to resume its review.
What does the council want?
According to Varna24, councillors at the 29 October session asked the mayor to submit the 2026 draft budget together with the corrections discussed since then. A working group of councillors and municipal staff has met several times since September to discuss disputed items; district mayors and council groups presented their positions there. The report says it is still unclear which proposals will appear in an updated draft. Councillors said the committees were ready to start reviewing it line by line at once.
What does the mayor say?
According to a Varna Municipality statement, also published by BTA, the draft was filed at the end of August, within the legal deadline. Under the Public Finance Act and the council’s own rules, every standing committee reviews it first, and then the finance and budget committee decides on the framework and changes before a final vote. So far only the culture and education committees have reviewed it; councillors then paused the procedure for further consultations. Kotsev asked the council to continue.
How does the city pay its bills meanwhile?
Without a budget, the council approves spending piece by piece. The municipality’s report for the first quarter of 2026 noted that municipalities worked under extension laws because neither the state nor the municipal 2026 budget had been adopted. On 29 October the council approved interim spending for November and December, according to the Municipal Council and Varna E:
| Area | Amount |
|---|---|
| Education (child nutrition and full-day kindergartens up to €2.28m) | about €2.3m |
| Social services (17 services and centres over €232k) | about €237k |
| Sports calendar of Varna | about €63k |
| Risk-behaviour prevention and rehabilitation (Oct–Dec) | about €43k |
The same session cut the New Year concert budget to €75,000, down from the €114,000 proposed by the administration. Background on that dispute is in our report on the New Year concert vote.
What happens next?
No date for a budget vote has been announced. The draft still has to pass the remaining committees and the finance committee. For background on the mayor, see where the case against Mayor Kotsev stands, and on the city’s finances, Varna’s BBB+ credit rating. Varna Pulse will update this page when the council schedules the vote.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
Does Varna have a 2026 budget?
No. As of 1 November 2026 the Municipal Council has not adopted the city's 2026 budget. It approves selected spending item by item instead.
Who is responsible for the delay?
The two sides disagree. Councillors asked the mayor on 29 October to submit the draft with all corrections; Mayor Kotsev says he filed it in August and asks the council to resume its review.
Are kindergartens and child meals still paid for?
Yes. On 29 October the council approved up to €2.28 million for child nutrition and co-financing of full-day kindergartens for November and December, according to the Municipal Council.
When will the budget be voted on?
No date has been announced. The draft must first pass the standing committees and the finance and budget committee before a council vote.
