A CROATIAN MAYOR does not have a computer, a smartphone, and he does not need a new car

"WELCOME TO HYPO CITY", "What connects Detroit and Zlatar? They both went bankrupt!", "Until 2018 no light bulb can be replaced here" are just some of the newspaper articles about the city of Zlatar from 5 years ago.

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Today, city of Zlatar in west Croatia looks like a big compound, with a new road connecting it to the city of Zagreb in less than an hour.

Light pillars are to be replaced, city streets are being re-done, as well as the city center.

Old buildings are getting new paint, and some of the results are already visible.

New pedestrian walks are built, and because of all this, the city was again in the center of media coverage.

According to the accounts, the mayor of this city is the mayor who spent only 400 Euro per capita last year.

- Some people tell me that I save money like a Scotsman, but I am not a miser. I became the mayor and found many mortgages unpaid, so I do not need a new car. I drive a Citroen C3, and we have an Opel Corsa. I do not need make-up money. We have 10.000 Euro for buying a new car, but my plan is to invest this money in library and scholarships for students. Also, the plan is to take as much money as possible from the EU funds. I do not have a computer, my associates have it. I do not have a smartphone, it is very hard for me to accept the new technology. My cellphone bills are around 10 Euro per month, just short calls and that is all.

When some guests come, he takes them for a lunch in a local restaurant.

- We have a local restaurant and the good lunch costs around 4 Euro. No one said it was a bad thing, I think that the people like it because we are not spending too much on lunches and drinks. Moreover, I do not go to all events where people want me to come, but I choose only the ones where I can contribute with my presence. Recently, some journalists started slandering that I had too much to drink. I told them "It is better to be drunk, than to lose one's mind!. That was the title of the article. But, I generally avoid drinking, alcohol is bad for me.

Help from the state

In March it will be a year since he became the city mayor on early elections.

As a candidate out of regular parties, he had great support from the Workers' party and he won more than 61% of the votes.

Still, a question arises whether this city can thank the former government for the projects.

- It would be unfair to say that the state politicians had not helped me. Our projects were accounted for and realistic, especially the reconstruction of the state road. Minister of Culture and Minister of Traffic helped me and I think that this co-operation will continue in the future. We have several cultural projects, and this city, once a by-passed place now looks like a true western town. I used to be in different parties, but now I am not a member of any party. In my home town I got 97% of the votes, which means that people recognized my work.

Other people call him, offering their service and help.

- I do not look at people through the politics, but through the work they do. Former government made some mistakes but I wanted to make a meeting and to talk with them. It is sad that they refused the offer. But still, my doors are open for everybody.

There are people who are not big fans of his work, too..

- I am sure 30% of the people do not support me. The people whom I did not write off the debts hate me. When a bill comes to my office, even it were my son, he has to pay. There were many similar cases here like that - stated the mayor.

Former police officer

One ex-mayor was sentenced for 3 years in jail, and he is to give back 3 million Euro.

- Even though he brought the city into a very difficult situation, I do not think that the spent all that money carelessly. He just used it to fix some unimportant things, and some of them were not done in a good manner. I wanted to talk with him and with other mayors; I wanted to hear their experiences, but they did not want to talk with me.

Are there any lawsuits against him as well?

- Transparency is my policy. In my opinion, I was not chosen to rule over, but to lead. We managed to give back the money, pay off some of the mortgages, some credits we will pay up until 2022. Some people are not paying for communal expenses, and they have good reasons for that. The city is wide even though there are not many people. We want to reconstruct the city square and to destroy some of the wild junkyards. There were some accusations against me, but all that turned out to be bogus. They tried me for corruption, bribe, and illegally spent money. As an ex police officer, I have to say that they were expertly written.

What do you think about the crime rate, and what is your co-operation with the police?

- We have two night clubs here. There are troubles sometimes, but generally, the situation is good. During the 1980s. I filed a request for the MIA in Zagreb. They called me and asked whether I had written a fine to some young men who were singing nationalistic songs. I responded that I did not because we found an agreement, and they turned me down for the job. My role is to be a prevention, not the painful cure. After the changes in the 80s, I again started working in police, even though some people were against. I was in the civil war, and since 1998, I am retired - said the mayor.

His settlement, Donja Batina village

The mayor published three books of poems, love, and religious poems.

He lives in his home village, where he made a small chapel, he has an orchard and finds long walks relaxing.

He sees the perspective of the city in tourism and not in industry.

Religious tourism could also be lucrative, because the shrine in Marija Bistrica is very close and there is also a famous church of the Madonna.

- The land that I have is mostly for agriculture. Some of it is rather small, around 25 square meters. But I have a couple of thousand books and this is my treasure. I can say that I am a happy man - said Majdak, aware that he cannot solve all the problems during his staying as a mayor.

- The mayor is easily forgotten, but the books will stay. This is why I want to write more and I miss that a lot. We are to invest a lot of funds into city library. I am glad that the students who are studying in other cities can find all the necessary books in the local library.

All the works will not be completed before summer, and the deadlines are tight.

- I am aware of this, but this is the general reconstruction of the road. You cannot expect to fall asleep and to have everything ready by the morning.

In just 5 years, the city of Zlatar turned from an ugly duckling into a beautiful swan, and this will be written down in the city's history books.

(Telegraf.co.uk / Source: Jutarnji.hr)