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Annual Reports to the Citizens
Municipality of Smolian
Background
During his pre-election campaign the Mayor of the Municipality of Smolian promises to the citizens an absolute transparency on matters connected with the government of the municipality. One of the methods which he puts in practice in order to achieve transparency in the municipal activities is the initiation of the Municipal Administration Annual Reports to the Citizens. These reports give the citizens the opportunity to meet their elected representatives and to hear exactly what has been done; to ask questions; to criticize or make proposals. The Mayor of Smolian demands from the Mayors of Mayoralities on the territory of the municipality to report and inform the citizens of the relevant mayoralities about current problems and also about the financial situation (incomes and expenditures) of the mayorality every month. The proposals which had been made during the Annual Reports are reviewed on the Municipal Council Sessions.
During his pre-election campaign the Mayor of the Municipality of Smolian promises to the citizens an absolute transparency on matters connected with the government of the municipality. One of the methods which he puts in practice in order to achieve transparency in the municipal activities is the initiation of the Municipal Administration Annual Reports to the Citizens. These reports give the citizens the opportunity to meet their elected representatives and to hear exactly what has been done; to ask questions; to criticize or make proposals. The Mayor of Smolian demands from the Mayors of Mayoralities on the territory of the municipality to report and inform the citizens of the relevant mayoralities about current problems and also about the financial situation (incomes and expenditures) of the mayorality every month. The proposals which had been made during the Annual Reports are reviewed on the Municipal Council Sessions.
Practice
The reports for 1998 are held on February 10th February 21st, 1999 in all 41 mayoralities on the territory of municipality of Smolian. The meetings were announced in advance by posting posters, sending out press release to the Smolian radio station and to other local radio stations, TV stations and newspapers. The Mayor requires from the mayors of mayoralities to describe their activities, emphasizing on the management and safeguarding of the municipal property and also on the future opportunities for starting up of new production on unused spaces. A report for the cooperation of the Police Department with the mayoralities is also presented by a Local Police Department representative. The managing body of the municipal administration Mayor, Deputy Mayor, Chiefs of the Financial, Architecture, Construction and Public Works, Education and Culture Departments and the Public Relations Specialist are present on every meeting. These municipal officials report to the citizens the activities of their resource departments and answer relevant questions of the citizens. Some of the problems are solved immediately.
The problems posed by the citizens to the municipal specialists are much alike they are all on topics related to finances. The citizens demand reconstruction of streets and schools, of community centers and the City/Village Halls; elevation of the parks; increased stray dogs control; putting asphalt on old streets; building of modern water-supply systems, etc. At the same time the municipality covers approximately 20 million leva monthly for waste collection and disposal; 170 million leva for new waste-collection cars; 800 million leva for 1999 for the implementation of a large-scale program for improvement of the infrastructure, for complete reconstruction of the street network in Smolian; 200 million leva for this year s streets reconstruction, etc. The financial resources are not sufficient and often do not cover all the needs.
All of the posed questions and problems are recorded, summarized and analyzed by the municipal administration. In the cases in which the municipality is not responsible for the problems solution, the citizens are advised to which institution they could turn with their questions.
About 300 citizens take part in the discussions of the reports with their own opinions, recommendations and evaluations. In some mayoralities the participation in the meetings is not so big (in the villages of Smilian, Koshnitsa, Gorna Arda, Luka) but the citizens are always active in their estimations and statements.
Difficulties at the realization:
The biggest difficulty is to encourage citizens participation not only in the Annual Reports of the Mayor but in local self-government activities in general. The municipality of Smolian develops other strategies for provoking and encouraging citizens participation and public control but for the time being the results are unsatisfactory.
The reports for 1998 are held on February 10th February 21st, 1999 in all 41 mayoralities on the territory of municipality of Smolian. The meetings were announced in advance by posting posters, sending out press release to the Smolian radio station and to other local radio stations, TV stations and newspapers. The Mayor requires from the mayors of mayoralities to describe their activities, emphasizing on the management and safeguarding of the municipal property and also on the future opportunities for starting up of new production on unused spaces. A report for the cooperation of the Police Department with the mayoralities is also presented by a Local Police Department representative. The managing body of the municipal administration Mayor, Deputy Mayor, Chiefs of the Financial, Architecture, Construction and Public Works, Education and Culture Departments and the Public Relations Specialist are present on every meeting. These municipal officials report to the citizens the activities of their resource departments and answer relevant questions of the citizens. Some of the problems are solved immediately.
The problems posed by the citizens to the municipal specialists are much alike they are all on topics related to finances. The citizens demand reconstruction of streets and schools, of community centers and the City/Village Halls; elevation of the parks; increased stray dogs control; putting asphalt on old streets; building of modern water-supply systems, etc. At the same time the municipality covers approximately 20 million leva monthly for waste collection and disposal; 170 million leva for new waste-collection cars; 800 million leva for 1999 for the implementation of a large-scale program for improvement of the infrastructure, for complete reconstruction of the street network in Smolian; 200 million leva for this year s streets reconstruction, etc. The financial resources are not sufficient and often do not cover all the needs.
All of the posed questions and problems are recorded, summarized and analyzed by the municipal administration. In the cases in which the municipality is not responsible for the problems solution, the citizens are advised to which institution they could turn with their questions.
About 300 citizens take part in the discussions of the reports with their own opinions, recommendations and evaluations. In some mayoralities the participation in the meetings is not so big (in the villages of Smilian, Koshnitsa, Gorna Arda, Luka) but the citizens are always active in their estimations and statements.
Difficulties at the realization:
The biggest difficulty is to encourage citizens participation not only in the Annual Reports of the Mayor but in local self-government activities in general. The municipality of Smolian develops other strategies for provoking and encouraging citizens participation and public control but for the time being the results are unsatisfactory.
Results
The Municipal administration actively forms its strategy of building a successful partnership and transparency, involving the population in the realization of the Annual Reports of the Mayor meetings. Citizens are given the opportunity to ask the municipal specialists questions and to require information; some of the existing problems are solved immediately. Thus, there is no need for the citizens to go to the municipality. In case there are significant problems which cannot be solved by the municipality, the municipal administration helps the citizens find the right state institution towards which they are able to turn for the solution of the problem.
The Municipal administration actively forms its strategy of building a successful partnership and transparency, involving the population in the realization of the Annual Reports of the Mayor meetings. Citizens are given the opportunity to ask the municipal specialists questions and to require information; some of the existing problems are solved immediately. Thus, there is no need for the citizens to go to the municipality. In case there are significant problems which cannot be solved by the municipality, the municipal administration helps the citizens find the right state institution towards which they are able to turn for the solution of the problem.
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