The Municipality of Salt is a
municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...
that covers the area in and around
Salt
Salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl), a chemical compound belonging to the larger class of salts; salt in the form of a natural crystalline mineral is known as rock salt or halite. Salt is present in vast quantitie ...
,
Jordan
Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...
,
northwest of
Amman
Amman (; ar, عَمَّان, ' ; Ammonite language, Ammonite: 𐤓𐤁𐤕 𐤏𐤌𐤍 ''Rabat ʻAmān'') is the capital and largest city of Jordan, and the country's economic, political, and cultural center. With a population of 4,061,150 a ...
.
Etymology
The name ''Salt'' probably comes from the
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
word ''saltus'' which means ''valley of trees'' or ''thick forest'' as there are many trees in the area.
[ It could have also come from the Saranac ''salta'' meaning ''hard stone''.][
]
History
Salt
Salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl), a chemical compound belonging to the larger class of salts; salt in the form of a natural crystalline mineral is known as rock salt or halite. Salt is present in vast quantitie ...
's first municipality was established in 1887.[ Fayad Afandi Al-Suboh was the appointed the head of the municipality in the same year.] At the time, the municipality was responsible for organizing roads and lighting, collecting taxes and tuition, water sanitation and facilities for both men and women, charging fines, etc.[ Many of these duties are still carried out today. In 1933 Salt became the first town in Jordan to open a school to all denominations of people.][ In 1938, the area suffered an ]earthquake
An earthquake (also known as a quake, tremor or temblor) is the shaking of the surface of the Earth resulting from a sudden release of energy in the Earth's lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, from ...
, causing the destruction of many homes and buildings. But the Municipality soon took the lead on reconstruction initiatives.[ But population of Salt declined 30% between 1922 and 1938.] Expansions over time have caused the Municipality to reconsider its defined territory, and the list of cities and towns has come to include Al Salt, Rai, Um Juzah, Wadi al Hura, Bazbadiya, Yaraqa, Ibra, Alan, and Rmemeen,[ many of which were already included, and many of which were new additions dated beck to 2001.][
The current mayor of Salt Municipality is Slameh Hiyari who was elected in 2007 after the former mayor Maher Abu Essamen (1999–2007).
]
Government and administrative blocks
Salameh Hiyari is the current president of the Municipality of Salt. The administration of Salt is divided into the following categories:
Management Unit of Salt Center Development Projects
The first manager of this unit is Montaser Hiyari "Architect". The unit was founded in 2005 to manage and supervise development projects inside the city center.
The "Diwan"
The "Diwan" is responsible for managing requests made of the Municipality and keeping record of the tasks carried out by other administrative blocks.
Planning and Organization
Planning and Organization division is in charge of communication.
Services and Engineering Works
Services and Engineering Works maintains roads and buildings. It opens, closes, and builds new roads.
Studies and Development
Studies and Development prepares the designs and studies projects that the city is working on, trains new staff, and studies geographical features of the area.
Financial
The Financial division handles all of the city's financial affairs such as incomes, revenues, expenses, and budgeting.
Environment and Health
Environment and Health division works on improving health care services provided by the municipality. Apart from a medical facility, it manages the control of pests, and surveys public health.
Libraries
The Libraries division handles the municipality's 14,000 volume library.
Media and Public Relations
All parties, events, and publications put out by the municipality are organized by the Media and Public Relations division. It also supplies reports and other media to local publications and newspapers.
Storage
The Storage division handles all spending and organizes data.
Legal
The Legal division is responsible for all legal matters with citizens and manages bills paid by citizens.[
]
See also
* Greater Amman Municipality
Amman (; ar, عَمَّان, ' ; Ammonite: 𐤓𐤁𐤕 𐤏𐤌𐤍 ''Rabat ʻAmān'') is the capital and largest city of Jordan, and the country's economic, political, and cultural center. With a population of 4,061,150 as of 2021, Amman i ...
* Fuheis
Fuheis ( ar, الفحيص) is a Christian majority town in the central Jordanian governorate of Balqa. It lies in Wadi Shueib between Salt and Amman, at a distance of 6 and 13 kilometers respectively. It has an elevation between 740-1050 meter ...
* Mahis
Mahis ( ar, ماحص, Māḥis, alternatively spelled Mahas) is a town in the Balqa Governorate northwest from the governorate's capital Salt, and west of Amman. Its population was 17,754 in 2015. Most of the population of Mahis descends from the ...
References
External links
Municipality of Salt government website
{{coord missing, Jordan
Populated places in Balqa Governorate
Municipalities in Jordan