The City Council proposes Esa Sirviö’s continuation as Mayor

1.10.2024 | The City Board of Kotka has decided to propose to the City Council that Esa Sirviö, Master of Social Sciences, be elected Mayor of Kotka from 1.5.2025.

His current seven-year term of office as Mayor of Kotka expires on 30 April.

According to the City Council, Mr Sirviö meets all the formal qualifications and has the advantageous experience and skills in all respects.
Mr Sirviö’s best period of service as Mayor of Kotka means that, in addition to his application, the selection panel and the City Council have a practical knowledge and understanding of his merits.

The Selection Panel considers in its presentation to the City Council that the process of filling the post of Mayor can proceed and that there is no need to interview Sirviö for the post of Mayor. Therefore, the selection team unanimously proposed to the City Council that Esa Sirviö, Master of Social Sciences, be elected Mayor of the City of Kotka as of 1 May 2025.

A total of four people applied for the post of Mayor of Kotka, of whom only Sirviö met the eligibility requirements. For two of the candidates, the eligibility criteria of a higher university degree and good practical knowledge of municipal administration were not met.

One candidate met the eligibility requirement of a higher university degree, but did not meet the second part of the eligibility requirement, namely good practical knowledge of local government.

The Mayor will be elected by the City Council in October/November.

Kotka will not apply for Tall Ships Races

The City Council also decided that the City of Kotka will not apply to be a stage port for the Tall Ships Races event in the Baltic Sea in the summer of 2028.

According to the City Council, the city’s financial forecast for the coming years does not allow for the organisation of a large-scale and financially heavy event in Kotka.

The total budget for the 2028 Tall Ships’ Races for the City of Kotka is estimated to be around €2.5-3 million, spread over the years 2025-2028, but with a focus on the year of the event, 2028.
Instead of Tall Ships Races, the city’s other maritime events, notably the Maritime Days, which will return to Kantasatama in 2025, will aim to increase the number of visits by sailing and other vessels.

The Sail Training International (STI), the umbrella organisation for the Tall Ships’ Races, has sent a questionnaire to the event’s previous host ports, asking port cities to apply to become a stage port for the 2028 Tall Ships’ Races. The call will close in January 2025.

Kotka has previously served as the official stage port for the event in 1992, 2007 and 2017. In 2017, 80 vessels and around 2,300 crew members participated in the event, which was held in conjunction with the Maritime Days.