BIR ZAYT MAYOR RESHAPES MUNICIPALITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JERUSALEM 001853

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE. NSC FOR ABRAMS/SINGH/WATERS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/31/2017
TAGS: KWBG PGOV PHUM IS
SUBJECT: BIR ZAYT MAYOR RESHAPES MUNICIPALITY


Classified By: Acting Principal Officer Thomas M. Duffy, per reasons 1.
4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) Summary. On August 23, Bir Zayt Mayor Yusif Nasser
told USAID and Poloff that his goal is to reshape the
Municipality by institutionalizing office structures,
ensuring more efficient output from employees, and increasing
public awareness on local issues. Nasser plans to hold
regular town hall meetings for local residents and develop a
"one-stop shop" customer service center. He said he hopes to
see Bir Zayt become a model town in the West Bank. He called
for the PLC to change the 1997 Palestinian Municipality Law,
which he said hampers decentralization/local control in the
West Bank. End Summary.

Mayor Reshapes Bir Zayt Municipality
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2. (C) On August 23, Bir Zayt Mayor Yusif Nasser told USAID
and Poloff that his goals are to institutionalize the
municipality, ensure more efficient output from employees,
and increase public awareness on local issues. Upon taking
office in November 2005, Nasser said he found Bir Zayt
(population 6,850) to be disorganized and poorly-run. He
said the municipality had bad road and sewage systems, lacked
personnel in some offices and was overstaffed in others.
Discovering that over 50 percent of municipality water was
unaccounted for, he hired a new head engineer and staff to
oversee the water division.


3. (C) During his first month in office, Nasser said he
realized that "local residents did not know what was going on
in Bir Zayt," and developed a plan to maintain constant
communication with residents. He said he recently held a
town meeting to address local residents' concerns and intends
to start holding such meetings every three months. He also
plans to establish a "one-stop shop" citizen services center
where residents can take care of local licenses and other
issues. Nasser hopes to form an "action plan" that will
build relations between the municipality and Bir Zayt
University, civil society, and the private sector. He also
plans to revitalize Bir Zayt's old city, transforming it into
an area with restaurants, cafes and shops.

Bir Zayt as Model Town
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4. (C) Nasser said he hopes to see Bir Zayt become a model
town in the West Bank. "I want Bir Zayt to turn into a Palo
Alto, with hi-tech industrial parks." (Note: Nasser said
that many Bir Zayt residents have family in San Francisco and
Sacramento and are closely linked to Silicon Valley. End
Note). One barrier to this plan, said Nasser, is the 'Atara
checkpoint, located one kilometer north of Bir Zayt, which
hampers Palestinians' movement throughout the West Bank. He
said the main Bir Zayt road now serves as a major
thoroughfare for traffic moving north to south in the West
Bank. The town is not equipped for heavy traffic flow, said
Nasser, and the 'Atara and Qalandia checkpoint near Ramallah
add to the problem.

PA Municipality Law Outdated,
Needs Updates/Adjustments
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5. (C) Nasser said the 1997 Palestinian Municipality Law
hinders the process of decentralization in the West Bank. He
called for greater momentum from fellow West Bank mayors to
change the law and said that as soon as the PLC comes into
session, he will lobby for its modification. Nasser said
his dream is to open up municipal council meetings to the
public, like in the US, but the Municipality Law prohibits
this. Nasser added that in his two years in office he has
witnessed a change in attitude among mayors in the West Bank,
finding them now more open to public-private partnerships.

Municipality Revenues
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6. (C) Nasser said Bir Zayt Municipality receives revenue
primarily from land taxes and building licenses. The
municipality also started selling billboard space to
advertisers, he said, noting he had increased billboard
advertisement revenue from 5,000 NIS (1,250 USD) per year to
60,000 NIS (12,000 USD) during his tenure as mayor.

Bio Note:
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7. (C) Nasser has been Mayor of Bir Zayt since November

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2005. During his first month in office, his car was shot
with seven bullets. He holds BA and MA degrees from northern
California universities and a PhD from the University of
Sussex. He is married with children.
DUFFY