Adam Strzelecki

Active citizenship in auxiliary units of local government in Kujawsko-Pomorskie province

Cities/towns – in the light of the regulation related to commune self-government – are not obliged to establish service entities in the form of district council, or neighbourhood or local ones etc. However, the majority of large cities established the afore-mentioned entities. In the mid-sized cities (50–100 thousand citizens) such “socialization” is at the level of 38%. In the cities which beforehand decided on such citizens’ share in public management, their influence on the local development is on the increase. The examples of such cities counting on such a development encompass – among others – Kraków, Poznań, Wrocław, Gdynia, Sopot, Bydgoszcz. In the voivodeship of Kuiavia and Pomerania, out of 22 cities with the population amounting to over 10 000 people in 10 of them such entities were established, including a couple of small towns. Even in small towns such as Mogilno, the examples of civic initiatives and the real influence on local development are numerous. Even more then one should claim the necessity of introducing the statutory duty to establish the service entities in each city/town. The active citizenship manifesting itself through district councils could possibly bring the additional profits if district councils allocated more financial means from local budgets or if – statutorily, their own sources of profits were granted – for example from neighbourhood car park fees, the fees issuing from selling alcoholic beverages as well as fine and penalties and alike.

Issues of autonomy in local government is considered primarily in relation to the basic units of this form of governance, it is in relation to the commune and district. Independence is conditional on having a certain financial autonomy or a substantial dose of financial decentralization. The situation is different as far as financial independence or its lack in auxiliary units (settlements and districts in medium and large cities) is concerned. The basic plan is the public budget which occurs only in the commune, district and province. In the case of districts and neighborhoods is the constituting authority to decide whether it will take the initiative of establishment of district councils, housing councils and equip those in the power and fi nancial resources to carry out their tasks. For the purposes of the characteristics of auxiliary units were selected: the 6 provincial cities, where effectiveness of the district councils, housing councils is noticeable, 6 cities, which have lost their status of the provincial capital, and 6 district towns of medium size. As a result of this study examples of large provincial cities has been the development of the district local government, housing estate. However, not all former provincial city and county have been set up auxiliary units, although there are housings in the tradition of the inhabitants, the nomenclature and housing cooperatives. As stated, most relied on ancillary units in the form of district councils, councils of settlements, districts, councils included actively in the management and operation issues of settlements, increasing the quality of life of their inhabitants.