The 2019 budget for the city of Tiveria has yet to be passed despite the extension given to the city’s mayor, Ron Kobi, by the Ministry of the Interior. Despite the additional time given to Kobi, and his repeated efforts to pass a budget, he has failed, compelling the Interior Ministry to step in. There were three attempts to pass the budget and they all failed.

According to law, the mayor of a city must have a budget passed by the end of June. This has not occurred and Kobi received letters from the ministry informing him that he is being given an extension, until September 30, 2019, but this too failed. Now, he is being summoned to a hearing to plead his case before being removed from office, and the ministry will appoint a committee to oversee the running of the city, including the passage of a budget.

Kobi remains adamant in his insistence that he is being targeted by Interior Minister Aryeh Deri, accusing him of a conflict of interests, as well as blaming the chareidi parties in the city, which remain in opposition, as they defeated his efforts to pass a budget. From a legal standpoint, he has no excuse, as the mayor, he is required to reach agreements with the various parties towards passing a city budget. The chareidim however are aware that voting against the budget would lead to Kobi being removed from office, which is their goal, since he was elected on a vehemently anti-chareidi campaign.

It is added that HaGaon HaRav Chaim Kanievsky Shlita predicted that Kobi “would suffer a big defeat” and when elected, many did not understand this, but in time, the words spoken by Rav Kanievsky became clear to all, as his downfall began with the city council defeating the budget.

At present, Kobi may still turn to the High Court of Justice, again, seeking to prevent his imminent removal from office. Kobi tried to have his city council invalidated, in the hope of ousting the chareidim, but the High Court ruled the outcome of the municipal election was valid and the council members remain as they are.

Kobi is scheduled to have his hearing with the Interior Ministry on October 23, 2019, at 2:30PM, and then the critical decision is likely to be made.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)