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 -------------- ¶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 -------------- ¶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 -------------- ¶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 -------------- ¶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: -------------- ¶7. (C) Nasser has been Mayor of Bir Zayt since November JERUSALEM 00001853 002 OF 002 ¶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