In a controversial statement, a member of the Islamic Council of Tehran criticized the trend of expanding the municipality's responsibilities into various areas such as housing, livelihood, health, and market regulation. He emphasized that this approach not only fails to help solve people's problems but could also lead to new crises.
New Responsibilities Without Sustainable Resources
This council member stressed that if new responsibilities are assigned to the municipality without the transfer of powers and sustainable resources, the costs of these commitments will ultimately be covered by the city's assets and physical capacity. In other words, securing financial and human resources for these new duties will become a major challenge for urban management, jeopardizing the city's future as a result.
He continued that the slogan "Everything is our duty" cannot be presented as a valid governance theory, while the main problems of the people stem from a kind of irresponsibility and lack of transparency in urban management. According to this council member, the municipality should focus on its core duties and avoid entering areas that are not directly related to it.
Serious Challenges Facing the Municipality
These criticisms reflect the serious challenges facing the municipality and urban management. In a situation where Tehran is facing issues such as traffic, air pollution, and a lack of green spaces, focusing on new missions without securing necessary resources could worsen the situation. In fact, the criticisms from this council member serve as a warning for urban management and highlight the need to reconsider current policies.
Ultimately, these statements not only reflect the current state of the Tehran municipality but can also be seen as a call for a reevaluation of urban approaches and macro policies. Is it not time for officials to think about solving fundamental and infrastructural problems of the city instead of creating new commitments?
