Official ceremony for the Mayor of the Year 2015 Awards took place at the Marinela Hotel in the Bulgarian capital city Sofia on Friday.

Chairperson of the European Parliament Committee on Foreign Affairs Elmar Brok, and Head of European Commission’s DG Environment Georges Kremlis will be official guests at the ceremony.
The Mayor of the Year Awards is a one of its kind competition in Bulgaria and is organised for a third year in a row. The organiser of the event is Brand Media Bulgaria through the Kmeta.bg portal of the Bulgarian municipalities in partnership with FOCUS News Agency.

For the first time the accent in the Mayor of the Year Awards was put on the efforts of the local power during the entire mandate.

Two new awards were introduced this year and they were “Mayor of Bulgaria” and “Mayor of Europe”.
The mayors in Bulgaria competed in the following categories: Mayor of the Year; Mayor of the Citizens; Investments and Employment; Efficient Management of EU Projects; Local Tourism Promotion; Modern Agriculture; Adequate Living Environment; History and Culture Preservation; Healthy Residents; Innovations, Science and Education; Infrastructure Development; Future Generation’s Nature; etc.
There were three prizes for small, medium and big municipality.

Some 456,353 people voted for their favourite mayor in the national competition.
In 2014 the Mayor of the Year Award went to Mayor of the coastal city of Burgas Dimitar Nikolov, while in 2013 – to Mayor of the capital city Sofia Yordanka Fandakova.

***
Mayors of the municipalities of Belovo, Isperih, and Kazanlak received the award in the Infrastructure Development category.
The award was presented by Bulgarian Minister of Regional Development and Public Works Lilyana Pavlova.
The award in the category of municipalities with a population of up to 20,000 was received by Kostadin Varev, Mayor of Belovo Municipality, district of Pazardzhik.
The award in the category of municipalities with a population of between 20,000 and 50,000 was won by Beysim Shukrim, Mayor of Isperih Municipality, district of Razgrad.
The award in the category of municipalities with a population of over 50,000 was presented to Galina Stoyanova, Mayor of Kazanlak Municipality, district of Stara Zagora.

***
Mayors of the municipalities of Elena, Svishtov, and Blagoevgrad received the award in the Efficient Management of EU Projects category.
The award was presented by Head of European Commission’s DG Environment Georges Kremlis.
According to him, European resources are important for municipalities’ social, economic, and cultural cohesion.
The award in the category of small municipalities was received by Dilyan Mlazev, Mayor of Elena Municipality, district of Veliko Tarnovo.
The award in the category of medium-sized municipalities was won by Stanislav Blagov, Mayor of Svishtov Municipality, district of Veliko Tarnovo.
The award in the category of big municipalities was received by Atanas Kambitov, Mayor of Blagoevgrad Municipality, district of Blagoevgrad.
Kambitov informed there were 151 agreements signed under the national energy efficiency programme in his municipality.

***
Mayors of the municipalities of Ruse, Svilengrad, and Primorsko received awards in the Investments and Employment category.
The awards were presented by Petya Dimitrova, chairperson of the management board of Postbank.
The award in the category of municipalities with a population of up to 20,000 was received by Dimitar Germanov, Mayor of Primorsko Municipality, district of Burgas.
The award in the category of municipalities with a population of between 20,000 and 50,000 was won by Georgi Manolov, Mayor of Svilengrad Municipality, district of Haskovo.
The award in the category of municipalities with a population of over 50,000 was presented to Plamen Stoilov, Mayor of Ruse Municipality, district of Ruse.

***
Mayors of the municipalities of Pravets, Samokov, and Dobrich have received the award in the Future Generation’s Nature category.
The award was presented by Ivan Ivanov, director of finance at Nova Trade.
The award in the category of small municipalities was received by Rumen Guninski, Mayor of Pravets Municipality, district of Sofia.
The award in the category of medium-sized municipalities was won by Vladimir Georgiev, Mayor of Samokov Municipality, district of Sofia.
The award in the category of big municipalities was received by Detelina Nikolova, Mayor of Dobrich Municipality, district of Dobrich.
The mayors expressed their gratitude for the awards.
Ms Nikolova stated the award was a great surprise for her.

***
Mayors of the municipalities of Ruse, Svilengrad, and Primorsko have received awards in the Modern Agriculture category.
The awards were presented by Desislava Taneva, Bulgarian Minister of Agriculture and Food.
“Your success in the final work on the Rural Development Programme (RDP) will be a success for our country and this will be mostly to the benefit of communities in your populated places because life will be better and there will be better opportunities for development,” the minister remarked.
The award in the category of municipalities with a population of up to 20,000 was received by Anastas Anastasov, Mayor of Lyubimets Municipality, district of Haskovo.
The award in the category of municipalities with a population of between 20,000 and 50,000 was won by Georgi Dimitrov, Mayor of Karnobat Municipality, district of Burgas.
The award in the category of municipalities with a population of over 50,000 was presented to Petar Paunov, Mayor of Kyustendil Municipality, district of Kyustendil.

***
Mayors of the municipalities of Chavdar, Dupnitsa, and Kardzhali received the award in the Adequate Living Environment category.
The award was presented by Todor Burgudzhiev, Executive Director of Ecopack Bulgaria.
The award in the category of small municipalities was received by Pencho Gerov, Mayor of Chavdar Municipality, district of Sofia.
The award in the category of medium-sized municipalities was won by Metodi Chimev, Mayor of Dupnitsa Municipality, district of Kyustendil.
The award in the category of big municipalities was received by Hasan Azis, Mayor of Kardzhali Municipality, district of Kardzhali.

***
Mayors of the municipalities of Pleven, Troyan, and Hisarya received the award in the Healthy Residents category.
The award was presented by Nikolay Stoyanov, editorial director of Kmeta.bg.
The award in the category of small municipalities was received by Penka Ganeva, Mayor of Hisarya Municipality, district of Plovdiv.
The award in the category of medium-sized municipalities was won by Donka Mihaylova, Mayor of Troyan Municipality, district of Lovech.
The major award in the category of big municipalities with a population of over 50,000 was received by Professor Dr Dimitar Stoykov, Mayor of Pleven Municipality, district of Pleven.
According to Mr Stoykov, Pleven is positively developing in the right direction.

***
Mayors of the municipalities of Ivaylovgrad, Lovech, and Asenovgrad carried off the award in the Local Tourism Promotion category.
The award was presented by Nikolina Angelkova, Bulgarian Minister of Tourism.
The award in the category of small municipalities was received by Diana Ovcharova, Mayor of Ivaylovgrad Municipality, district of Haskovo.
The award in the category of medium-sized municipalities was won by Mincho Kazandzhiev, Mayor of Lovech Municipality, district of Lovech.
The major award in the category of big municipalities was received by Emil Karaivanov, Mayor of Asenovgrad Municipality, district of Plovdiv.

***
Mayors of the municipalities of Bansko, Smolyan, and Veliko Tarnovo earned themselves the award in the History and Culture Preservation category.
The award was presented by Vyara Ankova, Director General of the Bulgarian National Television (BNT).
The award in the category of small municipalities was received by Georgi Ikonomov, Mayor of Bansko Municipality, district of Blagoevgrad.
He explained attempting to make Bansko Municipality be perceived as a mixture of traditions of nature, development, and modernity had been a considerable challenge.
The award in the category of medium-sized municipalities was won by Nikolay Melemov, Mayor of Smolyan Municipality, district of Smolyan.
The major award in the category of big municipalities was given to Eng. Daniel Panov, Mayor of Veliko Tarnovo Municipality, district of Veliko Tarnovo, who expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Boyko Borisov.
Veliko Tarnovo is Bulgaria’s old capital.

***
Mayors of the municipalities of Valchi Dol, Silistra, and Vratsa earned themselves the award in the Innovations, Science and Education category.
The award was presented by Tsvetan Mutafchiev of the Telelink EAD company.
The award in the category of small municipalities was given by Penka Yordanova, Mayor of Valchi Dol Municipality, district of Varna.
The award in the category of medium-sized municipalities was won by Yuliyan Naydenov, Mayor of Silistra Municipality, district of Silistra.
The major award in the category of big municipalities was given to Eng. Nikolay Ivanov, Mayor of Vratsa Municipality, district of Vratsa.
Ms Yordanova was not present at the ceremony to personally receive her award.

***
Mayors of the municipalities of Lukovit, Pomorie, and Varna earned themselves the award in the Mayor of the Citizens category.
The award was presented by Boyan Tomov, Executive Director of Brand Media Bulgaria.
The award in the category of small municipalities was given to Ivan Grancharov, Mayor of Lukovit Municipality, district of Lovech.
The award in the category of medium-sized municipalities was won by Ivan Alexiev, Mayor of Pomorie Municipality, district of Burgas.
The major award in the category of big municipalities was given to Ivan Portnih, Mayor of Varna Municipality, district of Varna.
Portnih said he valued the award as it showed things done in Varna had indeed been for people.
He said the coastal city of Varna already hd new trolleybuses and buses, a rehabilitated urban environment, and new nursery schools.

***
Mayors of the municipalities of Stara Zagora, Panagyurishte, and Slivnitsa received the Mayor of the Year 2011-2015 Award.
The award was presented by Dimitar Nikolov, Mayor of the coastal city of Burgas.
The award in the category of municipalities with a population of up to 20,000 was received by Vasko Stoilkov, Mayor of Slivnitsa Municipality, district of Sofia.
He informed he had had 5 projects when he had become mayor.
“We have now realised over 50 projects. There are 9 ones the work on which we are finalising,” Stoilkov said.
He commented they had an “economic zone” 23 kilometres away from the capital Sofia and invited investors.
The award in the category of municipalities with a population of between 20,000 and 50,000 was won by Nikola Belishki, Mayor of Panagyurishte Municipality, district of Pazardzik.
The award in the category of municipalities with a population of over 50,000 was presented to Zhivko Todorov, Mayor of Stara Zagora Municipality, district of Stara Zagora.

***
Dimitar Nikolov, Mayor of the coastal city of Burgas, received the Mayor of Europe Award.
The award was presented by Andrey Kovachev, MEP with the Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria (CEDB)/European People’s Party (EPP).
“It is a great honour and pleasure for me to hand out the Mayor of Europe Award. This wonderful initiative reached Brussels and, due to it, could and should turn into a European initiative,” Kovachev said.
He also read an address on the part of Corina Cretu, European Commissioner for Regional Policy.
Mayor Nikolov urged his colleagues to present Bulgarian municipalities and what they had done.
He said Bulgarian mayors achieved success commensurate with that of European countries.

***
Yordanka Fandakova, Mayor of the Bulgarian capital Sofia, received the Mayor of Bulgaria Award.
The award was presented by Boyko Sachanski, Manager of Billa Bulgaria.
The Mayor of Bulgaria Award is an honorary award a special commission presents to a mayor who proved he or she can foster Bulgarian values and his or her work reveals his or her love of the country.
Yordanka Fandakova remarked the award was for everyone working for Sofia and Bulgaria After receiving it.
Mayor of the Year Award went to Ms Fandakova in 2013, too.