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4 clusters · 12 sources · 6 days · First seen · Last updated

Zenica municipal utility and council leadership crisis

Overview

The city of Zenica is experiencing multiple utility service disruptions driven by municipal contract and budgetary disputes.

In mid-October, communal hygiene services including street cleaning and waste bin emptying were suspended by the utility company ALBA Zenica. The company cited a failure to finalize a contract annex regarding price increases and retroactive billing, which has threatened its liquidity. In response, Mayor Fuad Kasumović proposed terminating the contract, alleging the company failed to build a required sorting facility.

Simultaneously, the Zenica City Council failed to pass a heating season organization program or approve new central heating prices. During an emergency session, officials rejected a proposal to implement a 35 percent price increase for citizens while covering remaining costs through a 50 million KM municipal loan. This deadlock left the heating system, operated by JP Grijanje Zenica, running at a ‘technological minimum’ to avoid technical failure.

On October 21, the City Council reached a resolution by approving the heating season organization program and a new pricing structure for 2026/2027. Under this decision, individual heating costs will increase by 35 percent through the end of the year, with the municipal budget subsidizing the remaining 71 percent of a projected 106 percent increase. Economic entities will face the full 106 percent increase. Following a proposal by councilman Ernad Bešlagić, citizens have a 15-day window to request disconnection from the network if they do not wish to pay the new rates.

Following these disputes, the leadership of the Zenica City Council has collapsed. On October 23, 2026, Chairperson Snježana Vrhovac and Deputy Chairperson Mirza Husetić resigned. Husetić previously cited moral reasons, stating he could no longer ‘maintain order during meetings’. The Election and Appointment Commission has begun the process to select new leadership, requesting proposals from political entities by October 27.

Entities

Zenica · Zenica City Council · Fuad Kasumović · ALBA Zenica · JP Grijanje Zenica

Timeline

  1. [POLITICS] 3 sources
    Zenica City Council leadership resigns

    Zenica City Council Chairperson Snježana Vrhovac and Deputy Mirza Husetić have resigned following internal disputes over heating prices and session management.

  2. [BUSINESS] 2 sources
    Zenica City Council approves heating price increases

    Zenica City Council approved a 35 percent heating price increase for individuals and a 106 percent increase for businesses, with city subsidies planned to offset costs for residents.

  3. [POLITICS] 9 sources
    Zenica heating crisis intensifies as council rejects price hikes

    Zenica faces a heating crisis after the City Council rejected a proposal for a 35 percent price hike and a 50 million KM loan, leaving the system operating at a minimum level.

  4. [POLITICS] 2 sources
    Zenica faces hygiene crisis amid ALBA contract dispute

    Zenica is facing a decline in public cleanliness as ALBA Zenica suspends street cleaning and public bin emptying due to an unsigned contract annex. The Mayor has threatened to terminate the company's contract.

Sources

035portal.hr · 072info.com · banjaluka.com · banjaluka.net · biznis.ba · depo.ba · face.ba · n1info.ba · oslobodjenje.ba · tuzlainfo.ba · zenicablog.com · zenit.ba

This summary has been updated 3 times: see revision history