The town of Lipik has officially begun negotiations to purchase the Kursalon and Wandelbahn, confirmed Mayor Vinko Kasana (HDZ) at the tenth session of the Town Council. The current owner is willing to sell the historic complex, which, in addition to these two buildings, encompasses a swimming pool complex and part of the associated park.
The town has already contacted the Croatian Bank for Reconstruction and Development (Hrvatska banka za obnovu i razvitak) to find a financing model, and the process also includes an official assessment by court-appointed experts. The final deadline for concluding negotiations has been set for 30 June 2027. Kasana stated that a successful purchase of the complex would open up exceptional opportunities for the future development of the town.
At the session, chaired by Slobodan Katunar (HDZ) with nine of the thirteen council members present, the mayor also confirmed that representatives from an Austrian food sector company had visited Lipik. According to preliminary estimates, the potential investment would bring around 300 new jobs, and a reciprocal visit by the Lipik delegation to the Austrian company is scheduled for Thursday.
Council members also approved a decision on short-term borrowing of 300,000 euros from Erste Bank, with a repayment period of up to one year. The loan is being contracted because the Tax Administration paid citizens a tax refund on income amounting to 446,524.72 euros in May and June at the expense of the town budget, and the town is repaying this amount to the state in three instalments starting on 3 August. Kasana explained that an inflow of around 580,000 euros from the sale of land for solar power plants is expected in the meantime, so there is a possibility that the loan may not be used at all. The decision was passed with eight votes in favour and one abstention.
The co-financing of public line transport in Požega-Slavonia County for a period of seven years was unanimously adopted, with active routes to Požega, Novska, and Okučani. The most favourable bid of 14.48 million euros was submitted by a consortium of Autotrans and Slavonija bus, with costs shared by the state (75 per cent), the county (12.5 per cent), and towns and municipalities (12.5 per cent).
During the current question time, council member Mihaela Žili Petrović (SDP) drew attention to the condition of unsealed roads in surrounding villages. The mayor responded that the disputed section had been damaged by a private contractor while extracting timber, and that the removal of the displaced earth has been officially requested from them. It was also announced that the sewage network in Poljana is awaiting a technical inspection before household connections begin, while the third phase of works at the state stud farm is nearing completion. The report on the mayor’s work for the first half of the year was adopted by a majority vote.
