Decentralisation of City Administration and Competences of Decentralised City Units

Abstract

A balanced city system, coordination, and cooperation between city units are necessary preconditions for effective governance, as well as for avoiding internal imbalances and underdevelopment. The first part the paper focuses on the legal position of inner city units in European cities (primarily those in Central Europe), with specific reference to the effectiveness of administration and democratic processes. The second part analyses city administration and competences of city units in Serbian cities, internally divided into city municipalities. Neither Serbian local government regulations nor legal theory have sufficiently defined the legal nature and position of city municipalities. The analysis focuses on the statutes regulating the internal organisation of six cities for the purpose of examining the administrative bodies and competences of city municipalities. These statutes do not regulate all the issues necessary for the successful operation of city municipalities; moreover, some municipalities exist only in statutes and not in reality.

Development of Sub-Municipal Government in South-Eastern European Countries

“…Local communities were established by the Local Communities Act. 46 By this Act, the local community was defined as a basic self-governing unit, which it organized itself by working people and citizens in the village, or in some part of the city, or in more parts of the city or in more villages, for realization their certain interests and needs, and to participate in the performance of social affairs and decision-making on issues of their interest in the municipality and wider socio -political community. 47 Empirical research made in 1985.…”

Decentralization and Sub-Municipal Government in South- Eastern European Countries

“…One of the local institutions which are part of decentralization processes is submunicipal government. This type of organization can contribute to decentralization of local administrative services and competences in contemporary local government systems (Vučetić, D., 2016). This type of institution is form of local governance for managing local public tasks and services important for daily life of local community in some part of local government unit.…”