Jūrmala officials played golf during workdays, LSM reports

Jūrmala Mayor Jānis Lediņš and his office chief, Gatis Truksnis, have been spending several hours at a golf club during workdays, according to LSM’s LTV programme De facto.

De facto recorded the two men at the club three times over the past two weeks, each time around midday on a working day. Their golf outings were not listed in the municipality’s public work calendar.

Lediņš said he did not have fixed working hours and that results mattered more than the time he spent in his office. Truksnis also said he had no set working hours, adding that he had gone to the golf course for a couple of hours to clear his head, exercise and discuss work matters.

Truksnis receives 7,004 euros a month for his work in the municipality, while Lediņš receives 7,125 euros.

On Monday, August 10, De facto found both officials’ cars outside the golf club around midday. The two municipal officials spent at least two and a half hours there.

A traditional round of golf consists of 18 holes, although a shortened nine-hole version is also available. Depending on the number and skill of the players, a round can last approximately two to five hours.

Edgars Tavars, the minister responsible for municipalities, said Jūrmala residents should assess Lediņš’s and Truksnis’s conduct. He said officials should be judged by the work they complete rather than the time they spend in their offices.

Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs has previously called for the public administration’s remote-working practices to be reviewed. However, he did not assess the Jūrmala municipal leadership’s work from the golf course, saying he did not know Lediņš’s job responsibilities.