Public discussion of the budget was initiated for the first time by the Municipality of Dobrich in 1998. the low citizens interest observed at the very beginning did not demotivate the municipal experts, but stimulated them to seek new forms for activating participation.

In the following years owing to the effective partnership between NGOs and local government an increased interest was observed from citizens, but very low activity during the discussions. This necessitated rethinking and reviewing of the way the budget is presented to the citizens and changes according to their demands and expectations. The lessons and good practices accumulated became the basis of the project of the Society of Dissemination of Knowledge, which in partnership with Dobrich Municipality, implemented Public discussion of Budget 2003 with the financial support of FLGR.

For a fifth year now owing to the effective cooperation between the Municipality of Dobrich and active NGOs a public discussion of draft Budget 2003 was held.

A team of budget experts developed a presentation with attractive layout of figures in the budget and media specialists prepared a film entitled Dobrich Citizens Budget . The media product was presented during the discussions and on local cable TVs. In an easy to understand language the film tells how and in what way the taxpayers money are spent, what the current problems related to the limited budget are, as well as the main activities and main expenditure items of the municipality for 2003. Both the positive sides and the restrictions in spending the budget funds, leading to delays or impossibility to find a solution, were demonstrated.

The attractive and easy to understand presentation and the film stimulated higher citizen activity. Citizens commitment, on the other hand, incited municipal officials to continue further with their work on the public discussion and budget control.

In 2003 the public discussion passed through the following stages of presentation and discussion:

To youth organizations: in addition to the traditional presentation in front of the Youth City Council, the budget was presented to students from different vocational schools and university college. Their representatives were involved in the work of the Standing Committees of the Municipal Council.

To NGOs, clubs and citizen groups: Citizens were acquainted in detail with the priorities n the formation of the budget and the restrictions imposed by the Ministry of Finance.

To electronic media: Special rubrics were devoted in local radios and cable TV to presentations of priorities in forming the municipal budget by municipal specialists and the Society for Dissemination of Knowledge.

Several questions were posed and a number of recommendations made:

- Enhanced control over the management and renting of municipal property

- Control over firms responsible for cleaning the city

- Provide more information regarding the economy- prepare an economic profile of Dobrich

- Gasification problems and perspectives

- Rehabilitation of street network (setting up a committee for working out a list of the priority streets

- The lake in the city park possibilities for restoration

- New approach in the distribution of fuel for kindergartens

- Solution of the stray dogs problem

- Control over the expenditures for construction works in terms of quantity and quality of materials

- Health care reform and unsettled questions regarding payment of transport costs to people with disabilities.

Citizen s and NGO proposals were discussed at the session of the Municipal Council in Dobrich, and those referring to changes of the legislative framework were presented to NAMRB

Here are some concrete steps coming out of the public discussion:

- A committee of experts and municipal councilors was set up, which will propose at a meeting of the Municipal Council a list of names of the streets that should be given priority in the rehabilitation of the street network;

- On the citizens proposal, among the priority tasks of the mayor s team is the repair and reconstruction of street lighting, rehabilitation of the street network, improving and applying different forms of preventive and current control over financial activity.