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Monthly Municipal Newsletter
Municipality of Gabrovo
Background
The municipal newsletter has been issued from the beginning of March 1999, according to the decision of the Municipal Council of Gabrovo and in correspondence with the local government policy for transparency and activation of citizens participation in the process of solving municipal problems.
The twin city of Municipality of Gabrovo - the City of Portage, Michigan, USA, assists in the issuing of the newsletter. This cooperation is realized through the ICMA and FLGR`s Technical Twinning Program. The city of Portage is also publishing a newsletter. Last year its working team was awarded the prestigious SAVI prize by the Municipal Association for Communications and Marketing - USA.
The municipal newsletter has been issued from the beginning of March 1999, according to the decision of the Municipal Council of Gabrovo and in correspondence with the local government policy for transparency and activation of citizens participation in the process of solving municipal problems.
The twin city of Municipality of Gabrovo - the City of Portage, Michigan, USA, assists in the issuing of the newsletter. This cooperation is realized through the ICMA and FLGR`s Technical Twinning Program. The city of Portage is also publishing a newsletter. Last year its working team was awarded the prestigious SAVI prize by the Municipal Association for Communications and Marketing - USA.
Practice
The newsletter issued by the Municipality of Gabrovo is published monthly as a free of charge appendix to the Gabrovo Today newspaper. It is distributed by the Municipal Services and Information Center and is sent to all mayoralities. Still, there is no financial possibility of sending it to all households. The newsletter format is A3, printed in black and white and 4 pages.
The first edition of the newspaper is focused on the 1999 Building and Construction Program of the Municipality of Gabrovo. It gives information about anticipated expenditures of the municipality for research and plan works, capital construction, fundamental and ongoing repairs. This first edition features interesting and useful information about the managing structure of the municipal administration, instructions for the procedure of issuing a layout for fixed assets and for properties with indicated place of building; complaints from the citizens; names and telephone numbers of some of the most important municipal clerks and departments. There is also a shared citizens` telephone, on which they are free to express their opinion, ideas and points of view.
The second edition of the newsletter presents the May`99 Festival Program. In the informational page of the newsletter the citizens can read about the schedules of the upcoming construction works, as well as the May`s schedule for streets` cleaning and washing. There is also a practical material which advises the citizens how to obtain a license for building houses, constructions, equipment and installations. On the established Green Telephone, the citizens can ask for cooperation for cleaning the area around their homes and the parks.
The third edition focuses its attention on the newly established Municipal Services and Information Center for the citizens. There is general information about the center, about the services it provides and type of information that can be obtained there. The newsletter announces the e-mail addresses of some of the most important people from the municipal administration.
The decisions of the Municipal Council are published on the second and third page of each edition of the newsletter. In this way citizens of the municipality are timely and fully informed about all regulation acts and about decisions of the municipal council that relate to citizens` rights and powers and private property. The municipal administration hopes that the public announcement of the decisions will help to achieve something more - stimulation of active citizens participation in the work and the activity of the Municipal Council.
The most important and significant task of the newsletter is to persuade the readers that the municipality and the citizens are friends, that it stays open for everyone and it is possible to go there not just to obtain information or a service, but also to share opinion and ideas, connected with local self-government.
The newsletter issued by the Municipality of Gabrovo is published monthly as a free of charge appendix to the Gabrovo Today newspaper. It is distributed by the Municipal Services and Information Center and is sent to all mayoralities. Still, there is no financial possibility of sending it to all households. The newsletter format is A3, printed in black and white and 4 pages.
The first edition of the newspaper is focused on the 1999 Building and Construction Program of the Municipality of Gabrovo. It gives information about anticipated expenditures of the municipality for research and plan works, capital construction, fundamental and ongoing repairs. This first edition features interesting and useful information about the managing structure of the municipal administration, instructions for the procedure of issuing a layout for fixed assets and for properties with indicated place of building; complaints from the citizens; names and telephone numbers of some of the most important municipal clerks and departments. There is also a shared citizens` telephone, on which they are free to express their opinion, ideas and points of view.
The second edition of the newsletter presents the May`99 Festival Program. In the informational page of the newsletter the citizens can read about the schedules of the upcoming construction works, as well as the May`s schedule for streets` cleaning and washing. There is also a practical material which advises the citizens how to obtain a license for building houses, constructions, equipment and installations. On the established Green Telephone, the citizens can ask for cooperation for cleaning the area around their homes and the parks.
The third edition focuses its attention on the newly established Municipal Services and Information Center for the citizens. There is general information about the center, about the services it provides and type of information that can be obtained there. The newsletter announces the e-mail addresses of some of the most important people from the municipal administration.
The decisions of the Municipal Council are published on the second and third page of each edition of the newsletter. In this way citizens of the municipality are timely and fully informed about all regulation acts and about decisions of the municipal council that relate to citizens` rights and powers and private property. The municipal administration hopes that the public announcement of the decisions will help to achieve something more - stimulation of active citizens participation in the work and the activity of the Municipal Council.
The most important and significant task of the newsletter is to persuade the readers that the municipality and the citizens are friends, that it stays open for everyone and it is possible to go there not just to obtain information or a service, but also to share opinion and ideas, connected with local self-government.
Results
Citizen comments about the Newsletter are definitely positive. Although there are several newspapers in Gabrovo, which publish current information from the municipality, this newsletter helps the citizens of Gabrovo to find out the latest ideas and projects of the municipality. From it they obtain useful information about the municipal departments and thus, well-informed, they can support the activity of the managing team of the Municipality of Gabrovo.
Citizen comments about the Newsletter are definitely positive. Although there are several newspapers in Gabrovo, which publish current information from the municipality, this newsletter helps the citizens of Gabrovo to find out the latest ideas and projects of the municipality. From it they obtain useful information about the municipal departments and thus, well-informed, they can support the activity of the managing team of the Municipality of Gabrovo.
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