Holon Mayor Moti Sasson will leave his post as Mayor of Holon after Tuesday's municipal elections saw Shai Kenan gain the necessary votes to take office as Holon's new mayor, Israeli media reports.
Sasson, who served as the mayor of Holon for 30 years, garnered a mere 18% of votes tallied. Kenan, who serves as the chairman of the "Holon Volunteers" organization, won 44% of the votes.
Sasson, 77, is part of Israel's Labor Party. He became Holon's deputy and acting mayor in 1984 and eventually won the mayoral election in 1993. Sasson served another 30 years and carved a legacy as a champion of the central city.
Moti Sasson's legacy
Sasson was known for garnering international renown for his hometown. A once-humble city, Holon developed into a cultural center during his tenure.
British magazine Monocle ranked the city’s mayor, Moti Sasson, number two in its list of top ten world mayors in 2010. Sasson was singled out for ‘miraculously putting a mid-size bedroom community on the world’s cultural map.’
“I don’t know why they chose me,” Sasson replied to the magazine nod. Instead, the credit should go to “all of us at City Hall," he replied to the international honor.
Sasson has effected a cultural and social renaissance in Holon since being elected mayor in 1993, spearheading numerous improvements that have transformed the stagnating city beyond recognition.
By the time Moti Sasson was elected mayor in 1993, however, Holon was in rapid decline. With rising crime and unemployment, few public spaces, and neglected facilities, people were abandoning their hometown in droves for the brighter lights of Tel Aviv or the cleaner streets of neighboring Rishon Lezion.
In response, Sasson established a committee to revitalize the city, revamp its poor image, and drastically improve the services that City Hall provided to residents.
Sasson was also particularly proud of his fiscal record, as he was awarded the Minister of Interior’s prize for good financial management over 10 times.
“We did everything ourselves, without sponsors,” comments Sasson. “I have a background in economics, so I know how to manage a budget properly.”
Joanna Paraszczuk contributed to this report.