July first came and went. For Georgi Manushev,
the Mayor of Bosilovo, this date represented both
an opportunity and one of the biggest challenges
he’d ever faced. As of the first of July, local
municipalities in Macedonia took on far more responsibility
for local governance, a process called decentralization.
“I was excited but not sure if my team would
be able to cope” says Manushev. “We’re a small
municipality with a population of 14,500 and limited
administrative resources.”
But while some may say that small means less
powerful, this was not the thinking of Manushev.
Together with two other mayors from nearby villages,
Vasilevo (pop. 12,100) and Novo Selo (pop. 15,000)
a consortium was formed in south eastern Macedonia
with the goal of making joint administration work.
Joint administration has never been tried in
Macedonia. Nonetheless, the three mayors, who’d
been presented with the concept at a United States
Agency for International Development (USAID) funded
training, were able to get the Civil Servants
Agency (CSA) to endorse their plan to form joint
administration units to oversee property tax,
city planning, and inspections.
By working together, the mayors hope to be able
to increase tax revenues through more efficient
collection. And, while they’re at it, they hope
to save the taxpayer money: joint administration
is expected to lead to a reduction in payroll
expenses.
Municipal staff from the three villages have
already begun working together, conducting a joint
real estate survey in order to gather data for
upgrading the property tax database. And the new
city planning unit is already issuing building
permits.
“This is our own pilot project,” says Nikola
Andov, the mayor of Novo Selo. “We are excited,
but we are aware of the challenges ahead. Breaking
the ice is not easy, but we shall succeed.”
For small communities, joint administration could
be a matter of life or death. Small municipalities,
unable to perform their duties due to decentralization
could be abolished.
The move is popular with residents.
“Yes we know that the three villages will have
joint administration. We are optimistic that the
idea will work and that we shall see some benefits
from it” says Angelova Katinka a resident of Novo
Selo.
The concept of joint administration was introduced
at a training organized for Mayors and Municipal
Council Members, one in a series set up by USAID’s
Decentralization Project. A host of other organizations
are involved: the Civil Servants Agency (CSA);
the Ministry of Local Self-Government; UNDP, and
SOROS.
USAID has also financed the production of two
practical working manuals designed to help municipalities
take on their new post-decentralization roles.
“At first I thought it was going to be an ordinary,
run-of-the-mill training,” says Manushev, “but
it turned out to be the most valuable training
session I have ever attended.”
The efforts of these three mayors have not gone
unrecognized. Macedonia’s Ministry of Local Self-Government
has nominated their joint administration project
for the European Union’s Best Municipal Practice
Award, worth over $600,000.
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