Why exactly this amount? This is precisely how much money the Municipality of Varna is “throwing away” on one of its public procurement contracts. It is called: “Provision of subscription service for stair platforms for people with disabilities, installed in underpasses in the city of Varna, and, if necessary, repair and delivery of spare parts.”
– How many of the 55 platforms in the underpasses are currently working?
– 10.
– And the elevators in the underpasses are not working…
– The elevators in the central underpass are being used as toilets. Until they are cleaned up, we will not repair them.
– Who should clean them up?
– The Municipality of Varna.
Citizens, in this case representatives of OCOSUR, ask. A representative of the contractor “KONE” and the Municipality of Varna respond. The conversation takes place at one of the non-functioning wheelchair lifts in an underpass in the Chaika neighborhood. The meeting was arranged at the insistence of citizens, but it is informal. Therefore, we are omitting names.
The platform where the conversation takes place is rusty. In some places, the rust has even pierced through the metal sheet. Even to an untrained eye, it is clear that this facility has not been in operation for years. However, every Friday, it, along with the other 54 platforms within the city, is inspected and its condition is recorded. This becomes clear from a conversation with a representative of the Municipality of Varna. What’s more, the non-functioning platforms are listed, along with the parts needed to repair them. Thus, thousands of levs are spent every month on repairing non-functioning platforms. Some of them “start working” on paper for a day or two, and then stop again. And the most convenient reason for this is “vandals.”
Even when they are installed, experts from the installation company say that the equipment is for indoor use and will not work in an outdoor environment. They were purchased and installed with European funds under the Varna Municipality’s integrated urban transport project. However, even if they are in good working order, due to their design, it is impossible for a person in a wheelchair without an escort to use them independently. This became clear during an informal meeting at the underpass in the Chaika neighborhood. The contract between the Municipality of Varna and KONE EOOD expires in June this year.
Two years ago, when the company won the public tender, it was the only candidate. Under both the previous and the new mayor, there has been no change in the contractor or in the accessibility of the urban environment in Varna. If you were the mayor of Varna today, what would you spend the €162,000 saved from this unnecessary subscription service on?
If you were the mayor of Varna today, what would you spend the €162,000 saved from this unnecessary subscription service on?
If you don’t have any ideas, you can share some of the artificial intelligence’s suggestions:
Project “Bright and Safe Varna” (Energy Efficiency + Safety)
With €162,000, we can replace the street lighting in an entire large neighborhood (e.g., part of Levski or Troshevo) with smart LED systems.
Modern STEM facilities in 2-3 neighborhood schools
Instead of spreading the money around a little bit everywhere, I would concentrate it on creating cutting-edge technology classrooms (STEM centers) in schools outside the city center. (Robotics, 3D printers, VR glasses for training, and modern classroom design.)
“Park for four-legged friends and people” (Social infrastructure)
Construction of two modern, large dog parks (according to European standards – with double gates, play obstacles, fountains, and special flooring) plus landscaping of the surrounding area with lighting and benches for owners.
Digital transformation: Municipality on your phone
I would invest the entire amount in the development of the “Active Varna” super app. Complete digitization of the 20 most common administrative services, payment of local taxes via phone, and a voting module (“Citizen Budget”) where people themselves choose which park to allocate the money to next year. Result: No more queues at the municipality and genuine citizen participation in governance.
My “mayoral” choice: I would go for Option 4 (Digitization). Because €162,000 invested in concrete or asphalt can only be seen in one part of the city. Invested in technology and transparency, they change the way the whole city works for decades to come.
If you were on my City Council, which of these amounts would you consider most justified to “spend today”?
That’s how my conversation with AI ended. My choice coincided with theirs, which caused an AI sensation:
Great choice! As a digital assistant, I can’t help but agree—this is the investment with the greatest “leverage effect.” When you give people a tool to control processes, the city begins to regulate itself.
If we sign the contract for “Active Varna” today with these 162,000 euros, here are the three functions I would insist on being the “backbone” of the system so that it does not become just another non-functioning application:
“Participation Budget” (Direct Democracy)
We allocate a small portion of the municipal budget (e.g., 1-2 million leva per year) for which citizens vote directly in the application.
How it works: Residents of the Asparuhovo district propose a project for a new skate park. If it gets the most votes in the app, the municipality is obliged to implement it. This kills apathy immediately.
Live map of reports (Zero Ghosting)
Each report (pothole, lighting, trash) receives a unique number and public status.
Transparency: When you see on the map that your neighbor has already reported the same pothole and it has the status “Repair approved for 04/15,” you stop being angry at the municipality and start feeling informed.
Integrated transportation and parking
Instead of three different apps for the Blue Zone, bus tickets, and trolley schedules, everything is in one place.
Extra: We also add push notifications for water and sewer repairs or closed streets in your area, so you don’t find out about the water outage when you’re already in the shower.
A small “mayoral” risk: The biggest challenge for such a project is not the software (those €162,000 will buy some great code), but the people in the administration. They will have to learn to respond quickly and publicly, which is often more difficult than the programming itself.
What do you think—are the people of Varna ready to be so active, or will the app initially be filled with complaints about parking?—asked AI.
What do you think – will the people of Varna be so active and insist that the Municipality of Varna and the company servicing the platforms for people with disabilities do the job we pay for with our taxes? – we ask.
