Karposh to get 11 more employees in 2027 as administration reports increased workload

The Council of Karposh Municipality voted on the annual employment plan for 2027, which foresees 11 new hires and an annual salary budget of about 5.2 million denars.

Currently the municipality has a total of 184 employees: 165 administrative officials and 19 technical staff. That figure does not include temporary employees in the administration and in public cleanliness.

The proposed list does not include positions for the inspectorate — something highlighted by opposition councilors — but specifically lists jobs in several sectors. Two assistant-managers are foreseen, one in the Sector for Support and Organization of the Work of the Council and one in the Sector for Urbanism, each with an annual salary of 591,310 denars. Two new positions are planned in the Sector for Support to the Mayor, one in the Sector for Public Relations, one in the Sector for Activities of Public Interest to support citizens with special needs, three in the Sector for Municipal Development (one in the Department for Crafts, Hospitality and Tourism and two in the Department for Local Economic Development), as well as a new tax accountant and a person for processing property tax documentation.

In addition to the new hires, seven current staff members are on the list for promotion through an internal announcement, and only four retirements are planned for the next year.

Opposition remarks: a functional analysis requested

Opposition and independent councilors raised concerns that Karposh Municipality is already overstaffed and that a functional analysis should first be conducted to determine the real staffing needs. One of the criticisms was the absence of new hires for the inspectorate and environmental services.

Councilor from Levica, Slavko Mitevski, summarized his stance with the words: "I did not see hirings in the inspectorate and ecology, but only sector heads and deputy heads. The explanation is that the workload has increased, but with the current functioning I do not see that the workload has increased, except for the ruling entourage's need to place its own cadres."

Mayor Sotir Lukrovski defended the plan, noting that some employees will retire or may change their work environment and that delaying adoption of the plan could hamper the administration's functioning. He also answered the question about the functional analysis: "As for the functional analysis, the question is only whether we will do it with our own capacities or with external ones, and it will cost approximately between 150 and 200 thousand denars. I see the mood is for an external firm, we will make an effort to secure funds and to announce the procedure."

The Human Resources Sector explained that some of the proposed moves are actually filling vacant positions or formalizing jobs for people who for years have worked on indefinite or temporary contracts, and not creating entirely new categories of jobs. This plan was ultimately passed by a majority led by VMRO-DPMNE.

Citizens who followed the session reacted with questions about whether increasing the administration will directly improve services for residents. One Karposh resident reacted: "What benefits will the residents of Karposh Municipality get with the new hires?! How will a new hire in the administration ease and improve my life that is constitutionally guaranteed, but that I do not have. It would be better to use the missing funds for the general welfare of residents, more children’s educational and creative parks, investment for a cleaner municipality."

Photo: Karposh Municipality