Through the ICMA/USAID Resource Cities Program, the cities of Subotica, Serbia; Akron, Ohio; and Szeged, Hungary were partnered to assist Subotica’s municipal government (1) develop a framework for economic development; (2) develop a capital improvements plan for wastewater treatment and identify other key management improvments; and (3) devise strategies to prolong the life of the City’s landfill, while finding a suitable site for a new regional landfill.

In the area of economic development, Akron experts worked with their counterparts from Subotica to conduct a SWOT analysis and develop a plan for institutionalizing economic development and planning functions within the municipal government, including the establishment of a public-private Development Council and the creation of a staff position to lead the City’s efforts in facilitating economic development.  The experience of Szeged with strategic planning and its successful efforts to revitalize its center city provided useful models and a source of ongoing advice to Subotica.

Akron and Szeged public works engineers worked with their colleagues in Subotica to evaluate the condition of the City’s wastewater treatment plant, identify low-cost management and technical changes that could improve its performance, and helped develop a long-term capital improvements plan for the City’s water and wastewater system.  The City Council has made these improvements a funding priority, and the Subotica Water Company has applied for grants and loans from the European Union and European Bank for Reconstruction and Development to help finance them. The Water Company has also raised its rates to generate revenues for capital improvements.

Finally, Szeged and Akron engineers identified a number of measures Subotica could take to extend the life of its existing landfill, such as purchasing a compactor to decrease waste volume, helped identify a site for a new regional landfill and drafted preliminary specifications for the new landfill.