Investor or Mayor – Who will become owner of the administration building in the city center

Lado Bitchashvili, Shida Kartli 

After Gori city and Gori municipality united, one local self-government body will have two administrative buildings – one in the city center, where Gori City Hall, city assembly and regional governor’s administration were located; and the second in Tchala settlement, where Gori municipality governor’s administration and municipal assembly were functioning. Several months ago, the regional governor’s administration moved to the fourth floor of the building in Tchala settlement. 

Four-storied administrative building in Tchala settlement initially was constructed for the Ministry of IDPs and Refugees but after the ruling political power changed in Georgia and local self-government reforms were implemented, the Gori municipality governor’s administration and municipal assembly moved to the building, which was constructed for the Ministry. After the governance bodies of the city and municipality were unified again, the issue of disposition of the administrative buildings raised. 

Although the elected mayor has not yet made official statement about the issue, the representatives of the local self-government already speak that the Gori municipality city hall will be located in the administrative building in the city center. The administrative building in the Tchala settlement will be assigned to the Gori municipal assembly. 

Aleksandre Valiauri from Republic Party believes after the local self-government bodies were unified, one administrative building should be fully exploited by both organs that will reduce communal and other expenses for the second building. 

“If the municipality city hall and municipal assembly will be located in two different buildings, it will cause two problems: first – state funds will be unreasonably and ineffectively spent, and second - local self-government bodies will have distant communication that will cause some problems. However, this option may have some justifications too, considering that the mayor wants to work in peaceful environment and he sends the political-representative body to another building to avoid their protest in future though there are only 7 deputies from the opposition political parties in the 40-member assembly,” Valiauri said.

He added that the building in Tchala settlement is absolutely enough for the municipal assembly and service units of the municipal city hall. He supports the idea to sell the administrative building in the city center to the investor and allocate additional funds in the local budget.

Aleksandre Valiauri: “The three-storied building in the city center shall be sold with its square. We should attract investors and invite any of famous hotel brands to our city, which will create additional working places for our citizens.”

Vasilisa Jabakhidze, who is elected deputy of the municipal assembly on behalf of UNM, also supports the idea to locate both self-government bodies in one building. After the municipal assembly commences its official functioning, she intends to request reduction of administrative expenses as one of the most significant problems.

Vasilisa Jabakhidze: “The city hall and municipal assembly shall be located in one building. Different buildings will need additional funds and I think the Gori municipality cannot afford similar unreasonable expenses. The assembly and the city hall shall move to the administrative building in Tchala. As for the administrative building in the city center, respective investment offer shall attract investors, which will create additional working places for the locals.”

Representative of the Georgian Dream Gela Kapanadze said the question will be settled after the authority of the elected mayor and assembly will be endorsed. Gela Kapanadze was number one on the proportional list of the ruling party in the polls for the Gori municipal assembly. He said the building in Tchala settlement will unlikely have enough space for the service units of the city hall, municipal assembly and the regional governor’s administration. Kapanadze said he is not aware of the initiative, which aims to sell the administrative building in the center of the city. 

“This question shall be resolved by more competent persons and institutions but I used to work in that building (Tchala settlement) and I doubt it will have enough space for the service units of the city hall and municipal assembly. Moreover, the regional governor’s administration has already occupied the fourth floor of it,” Kapanadze said.

Nowadays, one part of the administrative building in the city center needs renovation; the large hall with glass dome is collapsed; the rain is leaking into one part of the building. For years, it was impossible to collect enough funds in the local budget to rehabilitate the building and usually it was renovated only partly.