Tbilisi City Hall to discuss the Mayor’s initiative once again
By Tea Mariamidze
Monday, may 25
Tbilisi City Hall is going to discuss the Mayor’s initiative, to appoint five new advisors for him, once again.
The first vote failed due to the lack of quorum on May 22. The issue was supported by 22 MPs, two abstained and 12 were against. Overall, 26 votes were necessary for a quorum, and so the vote came to no decision.
It should be noted that the member of the United National Movement (UNM) Tamaz Shoshiashvili stated that the Mayor of Tbilisi Davit Narmania has addressed Sakrebulo with the request of appointing five more advisors for him on May 14.
According to the MP, additional staff are not necessary as the mayor already has two advisers, a vice-mayor and five deputies.
Shoshiashvili stressed that after the elections the staff of City Hall has increased by 353 employees. Consequently the budgetary expenses has increased by 500 000 Gel.
“Tbilisi City hall has become the headquarters of the Georgian Dream party activists and the number of staff has been increased artificially,” Shoshiashvili said.
The issue caused the discontent among the opposition parties. They recalled the government the policy of “Tightening Belts”, which was initiated by the government and implied the reduction of budgetary funds and administrative costs.
The Mayor of Tbilisi responded to Shoshiashvili, saying that the issue of Mayor’s advisors is not the business of anyone and it is due to him how many advisors to have.
“How many advisors the Mayor will have and who will be appointed is the discretionary authority of the Mayor himself and it is nobody’s business,” Narmania stated.
He said that the increase in the number of advisors is caused due to the objective necessity.
The independent MP Aleko Elisashvili says that he is glad that Sakrebulo did not support the Mayor’s initiative during the vote.
According to him, Narmania does not know how to address public.
“He and his employees are paid by us, the citizens and yes, it is our business how many advisors he has and how much salary is given to them. Maybe he has left more unemployed relatives,” Elisashvili stressed.
The Chair of Sakrebulo Revision Commission Nugzar Malaghuradze said that changes in the Mayor’s Office staff do not imply an increase in the number of employees.
According to him, the positions of advisors in many directions are going to be abolished and will be reunited under the administration of City Hall. He said that the salary of the advisor will be 1 700 Gel, the same amount will be the salary supplement.
“The main specialists, who had the salary 1 700 Gel, will be named as the advisors and the same salary will be paid to them,” explained Malaghuradze.
