The State Comptroller report on local authorities covers 58 local authorities, including 48 municipalities, with extensive chapters on major issues, such as loans, hiring consultants without tenders, and parking arrangements. It also covers specific points, such as planning and building, handling of out of school juveniles, and spendthrift celebrations.
The report discusses small and out-of-the-way municipalities, such as Jedida-Makhr, Kfar Vradim, and the Sadot Negev Regional Council. It also examines cities such as Ashdod, Petah Tikva, Bnei Brak, Kfar Saba, Ramla, Ramat Hasharon, Hod Hasharon, Kiryat Ono, Rehovot, Rishon LeZion, Bat Yam, Netanya, and Haifa.
The report found flaws in a range of issues and public services in these towns, but in Israel's two biggest cities - Jerusalem and Tel Aviv-Jaffa - which one might think offer plenty of grounds for criticism, the report only looked at some very specific issues.
In Jerusalem, the State Comptroller examined only two matters: handling of health hazards, and parking arrangements. In Tel Aviv, only parking arrangements were examined, and only in a limited way, such as the incorrect placing of signs and failure to collect parking fines from tourists.
Each year, before preparing the report on local authorities, the State Comptroller conducts surveys to decide in which local authorities acute problems requiring meticulous examination are likely to be found. These surveys are the basis for sending out the office's representatives. At Israel's big cities, which are frequently examined, no focus of criticism was found this year.
Is the fact that Tel Aviv does not star in this year's report mean that the municipality is properly managed? Is the Jerusalem Municipality a model for emulation for all others? The answer to both questions is probably no.
Why have no special reports been published in recent years that thoroughly examine the conduct of Israel's largest municipalities? Why does this year's report devote only a few pages to them? Maybe this is a question of the allocation of manpower by the State Comptroller, or maybe the cities are not high in its work priorities or importance for audits.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on January 22, 2014
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