Two municipalities are pondering how to rid themselves of unprofitable cultural centers. The relevant ministry is dissatisfied with the local authorities' cost-cutting: in Riga's view, profit is not the main thing.
Jurmala. The municipality of Jurmala tasked an evaluation of its participation in the 'Dzintari' concert hall at the end of last year, according to the municipality's report. It is noted that without significant funding from the municipality's budget, the strategic goals set for the 'Dzintari' concert hall are unattainable.
The report states that nearly 40% of the hall's income is generated from budget funding from the municipality, and without this support, the capital company is unable to operate without losses and fulfill its assigned functions.
In light of this, a representative of the capital share holder instructed the Audit and Capital Share Management Department of the Jurmala City Council to assess the municipality's participation in the 'Dzintari' concert hall and to present this issue for consideration at a council meeting no later than April 2026.
Rezekne. Meanwhile, the municipality of Rezekne is ready to transfer the unprofitable 'Gors' concert hall to the state. Additionally, after a functional audit, the municipality of Rezekne evaluated the possibility of reforming the 'Gors' concert hall, for example, transforming it into an institution or choosing another form of management, such as private management.
Against the transfer of the concert hall into private hands personally spoke out the President of Latvia, Edgars Rinkēvičs. Shortly after his statement, due to a loss of trust, Diana Zirniņa, the manager of the 'Gors' concert hall, was dismissed.
“'Gors' is maintained at the expense of taxpayers, and we must handle these funds as responsibly as possible. Unfortunately, we encountered resistance from the very manager of 'Gors' in our search for a more effective management model,” said the mayor of Rezekne.
Comment from the Ministry of Culture. Decisions regarding municipal cultural capital companies must be made in an open process with an assessment of cultural accessibility, emphasized the public relations specialist of the Ministry of Culture (MK), Dace Vizule.
It should be noted that one of the most important tasks of cultural capital companies is to ensure the accessibility of cultural offerings for society, not just to generate profit.
