The debate around increasing water supply and wastewater tariffs in the Irpin community has been ongoing for months. The tariff increase is being lobbied by the mayor of Irpin, Oleksandr Markushyn, who also functions as the de facto head of Irpinvodokanal. On September 23, the “tariff commission” recommended the executive committee approve a tariff hike. The only opponent of this increase was the Mayor’s First Deputy, Andriy Kravchuk.
The Executive Committee is expected to discuss the issue today, though there is a high probability that the tariff hike will be sent back to the commission for further review.
What Happened to the Lost Revenue from Bucha and Vorzel?
Irpinvodokanal has not clarified two significant issues:
- Why Irpin lost its subscribers in Bucha and Vorzel.
- Why the utility has not received payment for wastewater transportation services for two years.
These concerns highlight questions about the efficiency of Irpinvodokanal’s management. A major justification for the 2.5x tariff increase lies in the wage expenses—36% of the tariff is allocated to salaries, with some managers receiving between 100,000 and 120,000 UAH monthly. If the utility’s leadership has mismanaged the company into financial distress, there are calls to immediately remove the director and top deputies.
Nepotism at Irpinvodokanal: Family Clusters in the Workforce
A striking issue within Irpinvodokanal is the presence of entire families employed by the utility. Although some family members genuinely contribute to the work, many cases raise red flags.
Examples include:
- The Kravchenko family: Valentina Rezikoyevna, Valentin Andriyovych, and Dariya Valentynivna.
- The Voloshchuks: Vitaliy Volodymyrovych, Volodymyr Stanislavovych, Halyna Mykhailivna, and Oleh Volodymyrovych.
- The Medvetsky family: Larysa Vasylivna, Oleh Leontiyovych, and Petro Oleksandrovych.
- The Ostapchuks, Rudenko, and Bondarenko families also have multiple members employed within the utility.
In some instances, entire trios of family members are on the payroll, such as the Isachenko and Bondarenko families. Such patterns of hiring raise serious concerns about nepotism.
Who Earns the Most? A Breakdown of Salaries
Despite Irpinvodokanal’s financial struggles, the director, Artur Zahodirenko, receives the highest salary—83,088 UAH per month, more than the deputy mayors of Irpin. Below are some other top earners as of June 2024:
- Tetyana Isachenko – 63,266 UAH
- Vyacheslav Herasymenko – 56,033 UAH
- Kostiantyn Chekryhin – 56,033 UAH
- Mykola Rachynskyi – 53,231 UAH
- Kateryna Kalashnikova – 49,258 UAH
- Andriy Herasymenko – 43,632 UAH
These high salaries contrast sharply with the utility’s financial state. While the management pockets significant sums, the average salary for the remaining employees in June 2024 was 18,107 UAH, with 26 employees earning less than 10,000 UAH per month.
A Million Hryvnias in Salaries for Top Management
In total, the top 20 earners at Irpinvodokanal receive over 1 million UAH in monthly salaries, while the utility struggles with debt and mismanagement. Furthermore, “ghost employees” have allegedly been identified within the workforce—individuals who never show up for work but still receive salaries.
Conclusions
The residents of the Irpin community have a right to know how their utility payments are being misused through wage schemes benefitting Mayor Markushyn and Director Zahodirenko. All employees—not just the top 10%—deserve fair compensation for their work.
If the company leadership has mismanaged the utility to the point of insolvency, they should be removed. The proposed tariff increase should not be approved just to fund lavish salaries for executives during a time of financial hardship.
Before any tariff hike, Irpinvodokanal must provide a full audit and commit to transparency. Director Zahodirenko must also explain the loss of subscribers in Bucha and Vorzel and clarify the utility’s missing revenue streams. Many believe Zahodirenko should resign immediately—and rumor has it, there may already be a position waiting for him in the city’s public utility service, as a street cleaner.