Mykonos Planning Office Chief Suspended as Mayor Announces Closure

A suspension decision and a separate closure announcement

The head of the Mykonos Planning Office has been temporarily suspended from his duties while authorities investigate the service's operations. Mayor Christos Veronis says the office will close and its responsibilities must move elsewhere, mentioning Syros or the Hellenic Cadastre as possibilities. No official procedure or timetable for the transfer of pending cases had been identified by 30 September.

Mayoral decision 393/2026, dated 28 September and published under reference ΨΔ73ΩΚΚ-ΘΞΗ, temporarily suspends a municipal employee from his duties. Reporting identifies him as the head of the island's Building Service (ΥΔΟΜ). The published decision is an administrative measure following notification of a criminal case file; it is not a finding of guilt. It does not order the closure of the office or designate the authority that would take over its files.

In a statement reported by Enikos and ANT1 on 29 September, the mayor said the office was closing and that its work should move either to the planning service on Syros or, as discussed by the ministry, to the Cadastre. Those are possibilities in his statement, not confirmed arrangements for applicants.

Why the question reaches beyond one investigation

The service's responsibilities have shifted before. Mykonos was served by the planning department on Syros after the 2017 change, and a decision to re-establish a Mykonos office followed in 2023. That history makes the new question practical: which authority will receive current applications, inspection requests and existing files?

The island's wider dispute over construction controls came to national attention in 2023 after an archaeologist whose work involved Mykonos was assaulted. The government then announced additional inspections and restrictions on building outside town plans. This episode is background to the policy debate, not evidence against anyone in the present investigation.

In 2024, the Environment Ministry reported inspections covering 13 businesses and one private project on Mykonos, with demolition and compliance procedures under review. A National Transparency Authority review cited by Kathimerini recorded 392 pending inspection requests out of 409 requests at the period examined. That historical figure must not be treated as today's backlog.

What remains unanswered for applicants

Has the Planning Office formally closed? The mayor has announced closure. The published suspension decision concerns an employee's duties and does not set out replacement arrangements. A separate official act or service notice is needed to establish the operational change.

Who is handling pending permits and inspections? By the publication check on 30 September, no confirmed transfer date or applicant instructions had been identified. Residents, engineers and property owners need to know where existing files will go, who can receive new submissions and whom to contact in the meantime.

Has the suspended employee been found guilty? No. The investigation is ongoing, and the temporary suspension is an administrative decision. Allegations must not be presented as proven facts. The next document to watch is an official announcement naming the authority that takes over the Mykonos caseload, the effective date and the handling of pending applications.

Reporting sources

Sources checked: 2026-09-30.