1. Form of governance

Mayor - Municipal Council

2. Legislative body

Municipal Council of 51 councilors, elected by the citizens. Mayor's team (deputy mayors and municipal secretary) is appointed by the mayor.

3. Election schedule

4 years

4. Population

216,000

5. Territory of municipality, communities

382 sq. km; cities - 1, villages - 11, wards - 3

6. Budget (annual)

1998 -- BGN 41,000,000

7. Structure of budget revenues

Subsidies from national budget BGN 31,600,000
Local revenues from:
- taxes and fees
- lease of municipal property and privatization.
Miscellaneous BGN 1,400,000

8. Employees paid by municipal budget

As of Apr 1, 1998, total of 6,590, including:
municipal administration - 290
education - 2,950
healthcare - 2,980
social care - 230
culture - 140

9. Number of employees at police and fire departments

Police and fire departments are state instituions. Within the municipal administration, there is Municipal Field Security Force of 26 officers with limited authority, reporting to the mayor.

10. Socio-economic information:

- average monthly income of civil servants BGN 134;
municipal administration only - BGN 187
- total number of students Currently, there are over 30,000 students, of which 11,000 in elementary and primary schools, 13,000 in high schools and over 6,000 in universities

11. Five major employers and/or industrial companies (number of employees)

1. Rousse Shipyard
2. Orgachim
3. Petar Karaminchev
4. Duty Free Zone
5. JITI
6. Danubian Silk
Total number of employees: over 8,000

12. Other important information

Rousse is the biggest Bulgarian city on the Danube, located in Bulgaria's north-eastern part, some 300 km away from the capital Sofia. The Danube has always been the foundation for the city's existence in its long-lasting history. Rousse was found in 69 - 79 B.C., during the rule of the Roman Emperor Vespasianus. In the 19th century Rousse was the first Bulgarian city with European look. After the Liberation of 1878, Rousse contin ued to be one of the biggest Bulgarian cities. The first steel ship was built here in 1871; the first private bank and insurance company were established in Rousse in 1881; the first Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Bulgaria was established in Rousse in 1895. In 1897, Rousse's citizens are the first in Bulgaria to watch moving pictures, only two years after the invention of the Lumiere brothers was shown in Paris. Today Rousse is a major point on the East- West water route, European corridor # 7, and of the road and railroad corridor North- South, European corridor # 9 from Helsinki to Alexandroupolis. Rousse's port is one of the biggest in the lower part of the Danube, boasts modern equipment and has a con tainer terminal. Ferryboat lines connect Rousse with the ports of Reny in the Ukraine and Gyurghevo in Romania. Rousse's bridge is still the main Bulgarian crossing point on the Danube. After the completion of the Rhine-Main-Danube canal, the route through Rousse became the shortest one from Amsterdam through Varna, Black and Caspian Seas, to the countries in the Middle East.