The Future of the City Starts Today

For a second mandate in a row, Mr. Georgi Ivanov runs the city with enviable dash, energy and optimism. According to him, the citizens should be asked for the effect of his work. And whether positive or negative, their evaluation should be published. So, we asked the citizens. We saw for ourselves that most of them are happy and love their city. They are proud of the fact that it is clean, green and peaceful. They feel that the extensive pedestrian areas and gardens, the diverse cultural life and the multitude of social acquisitions are made for them, the citizens.

Mr. Georgi Ivanov was born on August 3, 1954 in Haskovo. He graduated the Higher Institute of Architecture and Building, Sofia, in industrial and civil construction. He worked in the Pernik Industrial Complex, then in Sofstroy, Stambolovo. In 1990 he set up his own building company Stroytex.
In 1989 he was elected mayor in the interim administration of Stambolovo Municipality. Mayor of Haskovo Municipality since 1999. Chairman of the Maritsa Regional Association of Municipalities. Married, two sons.

Mr. Ivanov, from our first interview a year ago I remember your maxim: “Do what you have to do, and happen what may.” In the past year what were you to do and what happened?
This thought, which I like very much, is not mine but Neshka Robeva’s. I have great respect for this woman, because she is a maximalist in her ideas and realisations. One has to aim at the maximum in order to achieve the required. I think we carry on in this spirit. Even though this year things got a bit slow from the point of view of legal procedures and financing. But we shall gain momentum.

At the moment we have a very ambitious program of 24 sites, which will be financed on credit. In parallel, we expect the implementation of some projects under EU programs.

The new line we have taken is this: we get a credit, we renovate the city and then we refund the loan, meanwhile enjoying the benefits of the improvements. This is what we learned from our European colleagues. We had to overcome the psychological barrier – to be a municipality in debt, but being in debt to provide to its citizens something good and needed. As far as I can see, quite a few municipalities in Bulgaria with possibilities and prestige before the banks do it.

On September 8, 2005, the Day of Haskovo, guests of the city were the Lord Mayor of Leicester, UK, Mrs. Mary Draycott and the Minister of Labour and Social Policy Mrs. Emilia Maslarova

The projects we need the funds for are mainly infrastructural. The objective is to fix the streets in all quarters. The central city area is already repaired. You know, the effect of a drop falling in the water propagates radially outward. Same thing with the city. The centre is used by everybody, while the quarters only by a limited number of citizens. Therefore we started with the city centre. Next spring with the credits I hope we will fix the quarters too. Most important I think are the Zapaden and Osvobozhdenie boulevards. They are the thoroughfares to the west and south. The northern and eastern avenues are already reconstructed. Thus, all ingoing and outgoing thoroughfares of the city will be completed with the respective infrastructure. We are not going to do cosmetic repairs, we will begin with the underground infrastructure and go to the above ground infrastructure, including the lighting and a new trolleybus line. This transport, even though expensive, is environment friendly and has a future.

Mayor Mr. Georgi Ivanov conferred the most prestigious title, Honorary Citizen of Haskovo on the Lord Mayor of Leicester Mrs. Mary Draycott

You have undertaken large-scale projects.
Yes, but necessary. The only thing that will be more spectacular, but it is necessary too, is the pedestrian bridge. It will be one of the symbols of the city. However, the biggest attraction, which is expected to be put into operation this year, is the skating-rink in Spartak Complex.

We have made progress with the infrastructure and now that we will have the resources it is high time we tackled the social problems.

You mean housing for the socially disadvantaged?
We shall construct two types of housing – apartments and houses. The latter will be for large socially disadvantaged families, who will be able to use the surrounding space. We hope 50 houses and 120 apartments will be built by the end of 2007. there has been no housing construction in the city in recent years. This year for the first time we are releasing 24 apartments in a block of flats that was frozen for 15 years and we are now completing its construction. The problem with this housing is its financing. There are no operative programs for this kind of construction, except for the Roma. This fact causes tension among the people. In my opinion, housing should be for all socially disadvantaged people. It should be balanced, so that the city administration in the person of the mayor would be respected by all.

Haskovo seems to be a calm city with ethnic and social peace.
It is peaceful because here things never got out of hand. Periodically there are campaigns to collect the rent, so things are under control. What is most important, however, is that part of the socially disadvantaged families in Haskovo have jobs. This is greatly due to the US company Dimon Bulgaria AD, engaged in the preparation of tobacco exports. It employs 1200, though seasonally. They can pay their bills and lead a decent life. About 300 are employed in public cleaning, and in the villages people are engaged in farming. Vegetables are grown in our region and hands are needed for some crops. The socially disadvantaged help in the growing of tomatoes, peppers, okra. Peace comes with the availability of incomes.

The British Ambassador H.E. Mr. Jeremy Hill received an honorary plaque

… And civilised relations. Back in the 18th century a French scientist noted that here, at the Uzundjovo Fair about 50 thousand people of different religions and nationalities “live in full accord, inspired by the only desire to do better deals and make money...” The potential for development today makes your city attractive to the young people. What else keeps them here?
It is hard to keep the young people in general. But we try to create positive emotions for those who are in town. I am not speaking of nightclubs and discotheques, of course. I think the theatre, the cultural-sports complex Spartak, the skating-rink are a great help to this end. We also have a good Youth Centre, which functions very actively. Its director Mrs. Damyanova and her team won and carried out many projects. This gave the young people an opportunity for exchange with their coevals. At the Youth Centre they attend various courses, according to their interests. I am glad that the centre is a model for work with the young people and it holds its positions. It is important that the youths be organised by someone by hobbies and attractive offers.

Sports are getting on well in the city, too. In the past few years we have successes in weight-lifting, judo, wrestling, boxing and football. Tennis, handball and badminton are traditional sports. The municipality subsidises the Sports School, which we managed to preserve (out of 26 in Bulgaria only 10 are left). It also contributes for the education of the youths, especially the wilder ones.