The idea about the public discussion of Budget 2004 is a continuation of the policy of the municipal management on transparency and openness in the performance of the administrtaion, citizen awareness and active participation in the life of the community . The idea was also practically implemented in Mezdra Municipality within the context of the Municipal Budgets Law .

The work on Budget 2004 in Mezdra Municipality started actively with the enforcement of the legal documents on the budget . Under the management of the head of Budget , Analysis and Control Department workshops were carried out with the leaders of all units in the municipal administration , municipal schools , kindergartens and community centers , of the municipal enterprise Cleanness and the Municipal Social Aid and Services Center. Work meetings with mayors of mayoralties were also carried out.

Since 6 February 2004 after a wide publicity in the media , we provided for the Customer Service Center an information brochure Public Discussion of Annual Report on Budget 2003 Performance of Municipality of Mezdra , and our citizens got acquainted with the tasks accomplished by the muniicpality in the process of financial decentralization in 2003, funding of state and muniicpal activities, revenues and expenditures within Report 2003 . The Annual Report on Budget 2003 was adopted at a session of the Municipal Council held on 26 February and uploaded on the web - site of Mezdra Municipality and published in Mezdra 21 Century newspaper . A special transmission on the local cable TV Intersat was also dedicated to its revision and adoption .

In the beginning of March the materials ( folders of full set of documents on the project and information brochures with the framework of the draft budget , priority expenditures and investment programme of Mezdra Municipality ) on Budget 2004 were prepared and delivered to citizens through the Customer Service Center . A week ahead we announced the date 11 March for the public discussion on Budget 2004 in the hall of the municipal builidng through local and regional media and the web - site www . mezdra . dir . bg

Within the week 8 to 11 March sessions of the five standing committees within the Muniicpal Council were carried out, when professional debates were held on Budget 2004 in all directions and with the participation of external experts . The session of the main committee within the Municipal council on Finances and Budget was carried out in the evenning after the public discussion took place .

On 11 March before the public discussion we organized a Mayor s Day with the active participation of mayors of mayoralties. The mayor introduced them the Budget 2004, therefore they all debated in details infrastructure sites included in the List of capital costs reduced three times than the previous year . They also discussed opportunities for searching additional funding through applying with projects to different programmes ( SAPARD , Social Investment Fund , Enterprise on Environmental Activities Management) .

At 11 o clock on 11 March started the public dicussion on the Budget 2004 in the hall of the municipal building . The media showed certain interest : cable TV Vratsa , cable TV Intersat Mezdra , regional newspapers Vratsa Dnes and Konkurent , newspaper Mezdra 21 Century and the radio center in Mezdra . Representatives of two large syndicates attended the discussion , together with representatives of teachers syndicates , principals of shcools and kindergartens , managers of municipal companies and citizens . As a matter of fact we expected more citizens to be present at the budget discussions . A paradox turned out a lot of our co-citizens got acquainted with the materials on Budget 2004 at the Cistomer Service Center and took a number of brochures, but did not show any interest towards the discussion itself, where they could have the opportunity to address concrete questions . Therefore a professional debate was the result performed by people , who were the direct stakeholders a repetition of the debates of the working groups and the sessions of the standing committees within the Municipal Council .

At 17 hours on the same day a session of the Main Committee within the Municipal Council working on Finances and Budget , with the attendance of the chairs of the rest of the standing committees, the chair of the MC, mayor of the muniicpality and the head of Finances and Budget Department was carried out aiming at reviewing all recommendations . A natural ending of the whole campaign on the adoption of Budget 2004 of Mezdra municipality appeared to be the session of the municipal Council held on 16 March, when the adoption of the budget was performed and later on promoted by the cable TV .

Being the first organized draft budget discussion of Mezdra Municipality we definitely consider that it was successful in the context of organization , promotion materials and media attendance . Certainly it was professionally performed by the specialists in the municipal administration and the muniicpal councilors . Regarding citizen participation our expectations were greater . Indisputably the subject was too complicated but we will continue on working in this direction being open and aiming at increasing awareness of our co-citizens .

The beginning of the public discussions on the reports on the budget implementation and draft budgets implementation of Mezdra municipality was founded . From now on we will have ot pass along a long road towards finding new forms and ways of establishing an active citizen position .