| Popis: |
Sub-municipal government is a flexible instrument that complements traditional forms of citizen participation and as such contributes to the democratization of the decision-making process on local interests. The main task of sub-municipal government in Croatia is to serve as the consulta¬tion and communication mechanism within local units, allowing alternative representation of small communities’ interest, parallel with local councils. However, sub-municipal government has a rather weak position: local representative bodies decide on their power and financing which puts them in a disadvantageous position of dependence on the decisions of that body ; they have insufficient financial resources and do not have the ability to influence budget decisions ; their powers and activities are not transparent enough and known to citizens ; national politics dominates even at that level of governance ; they are too small, which makes it impossible to assume more concrete tasks. However, examples of some Croatian cities demonstrate the democratization potential of sub-municipal government. Namely, some sub- municipal government can carry out activities important for local community and can have significant potential for acting in the interest of the local population. Some cities and their sub-municipal units are especially innovative in various activities that can help citizens to participate in creating and providing local public services. Conversely, their activities are not widely advertised and known to larger population. Therefore, examples of good practice in selected local units are analysed. The purpose of this analysis is to find some common positive practices which can serve as guidelines for Croatian, but also for foreign, sub-municipal local units. |
