The Coastal Aegean Municipalities Union came together at the June 2024 Executive Board Meeting held in Izmir on Wednesday, June 26. The meeting was held in the Union building and was attended by the mayors of Kuşadası, Çeşme, Ayvalık, Dikili, Tire, Karaburun, Narlıdere and the Union Secretary General.
The meeting addressed the steps to be taken for the union to work more effectively, the financing problems of the municipalities and their proposed solutions, the training needs of the municipal staff and the income-expenditure arrangements of the municipalities. The board members shared their views and reached a consensus on solution-oriented steps to increase cooperation and contributions within the union.
In the statement made after the meeting, Coastal Aegean Municipalities Union President and Muğla Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ahmet Aras stated that the first council meeting was productive and emphasized that concrete steps were being taken to make the union more effective and participatory.
“The union will be in close contact with the municipalities,” said President Aras, adding, “We discussed important issues such as changes in legislation, financing issues, training in municipalities and the balance between income and expenditure. Our goal is to take the necessary steps for the union to be in close cooperation with the municipalities and to assume an effective role.”
Mayor Aras also touched upon the problems municipalities experience in their income-expenditure balances, saying, “Municipalities have serious difficulties in financing. The decrease in municipal revenues along with the increase in tax burdens negatively affects municipalities. In this regard, we aim to solve the problems of municipalities by working on income-increasing measures and expense control. At the same time, we will make efforts to ensure that our municipalities are supported by conveying our demands to the central government regarding tax rates, energy expenses and taxation.”
