New York State Commissioner of Taxation Mr. Andrew Eristoff Discusses Local Government in Telavi and Tbilisi
On October 6 and 9, New York State Commissioner of the Department of Taxation and Finance, Mr. Andrew Eristoff, gave informal presentations to audiences at the American Corner in Telavi and the Georgian University of Social Sciences, Tbilisi. Mr. Eristoff is a descendent of the famous noble Georgian family of Eristavi from Telavi. His side of the family immigrated to the United States in 1921.
During his presentations, Mr. Eristoff discussed the role and functions of local governments in the democratic development of a country, and the importance of Georgia’s recent local elections. He addressed these issues through his past experience as a former New York City Council Member, especially underlining the importance of citizens’ activity and involvement in local governments. Mr. Eristoff also described his present experience as a Commissioner of Taxation and Finance and explained the New York City budget and the role of tax revenue in its formulation. Mr. Eristoff encouraged those in attendance to create student councils or civil organizations to monitor the effective functioning of Georgia’s local government. At the end of his presentations, Mr. Eristoff answered questions about the New York City Government, explained his personal opinion of the Georgia-Russia crisis, and his family ties to Georgia. Mr. Eristoff was in Georgia for consultations with Georgian officials. |
