The workers at the Givatayim municipality are paid more that any other local authority employees - 154,000 NIS per annum on average - despite the municipality being 4.9 million NIS in debt, according to a survey by Dun and Bradstreet.

The survey - pertaining to 2005 - found that Tel Aviv municipal workers come in second with an average annual salary of 148,000 NIS while Eilat was third at 145,000 NIS. Rishon Letzion came fourth with average wages of 144,000 NIS with Bat Yam paying an average of 142,000 NIS per year to municipal workers.

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The aggregated deficit of local authorities in Israel fell by 50% in 2005 to a level of 310 million NIS. Jerusalem, Haifa, Ashdod, Acre, Dimona, Beit Shemesh, Kiryat Motzkin and Kiryat Atta all moved into the black during 2005. Ashdod, Herzeliya, Rishon Letzion, Nes Tziona and Ramat Hasharon are all currently maintaining budgetary surpluses.

Jerusalem - Israel's most populous city - tops this list in terms of total income with an annual income of 3.8 billion NIS. Jerusalem is followed by Tel Aviv with an income of 3.7 Bn NIS, Haifa with 2 Bn NIS, Rishon Letzion and Petach Tikvah with 1.1 Bn NIS each, and Ashdod and Be'er Sheva with 1 Bn NIS each.