From now on, the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development CALLS for proposals on the drafted “Local Government Law”. The draft law has been passed for public deliberation until this time. g. October 8 and available on COPPER website.
Since the adoption of the Law on Local Governments in 1994, significant changes have been made to the general public administration, which inevitably necessitate changes to the legal framework for the operation of municipalities. At the same time, they are also needed in the context of administratively territorial reform, focusing mainly on the need for higher levels of public involvement in decision-making and more effective instruments to ensure the hearing and evaluation of views on issues relevant to public development. . Therefore, in developing the new Law on Municipalities, the Ministry has set out the objective of ensuring timely management by stimulating further democratisation, separating the decision-making power from the executive, reducing the concentration of power and increasing the regular participation of local society.
Minister Juris Pūce (AP!): “The new municipal law will support local governments to develop successfully and work in the interests of all citizens, within a single, understandable and modern law. Closer and more effective cooperation between municipalities and citizens on local issues focusing on growth and the development of services is an essential part of the drafting of the bill, so that a significant part of the law is devoted directly to public participation."
In order to achieve these objectives, the Ministry encourages a clearer separation of decision-making power and executive power, improving the division of competences and functions, a clearer definition of the model of the local government work organisation and the competence of officials.
The Law also sets out mechanisms for ensuring greater participation of the population in the work of the local government, thereby increasing the quality of the work of the local government and compliance with the interests of the residents of its administrative territory. . As one of the forms of population involvement, the implementation of the participation budget is envisaged, thus ensuring a democratic process that enables citizens themselves to determine how part of the local government budget is spent on the development issue. s. It will promote citizens' cooperation with the municipality, mutual trust and full and targeted cooperation.
The draft law is intended to introduce a requirement for municipalities to provide the population board in order to maintain a dialogue between residents of the parish and the municipality city (except the administrative centre) and the council. . Such a board would be consultative and could consider matters of local interest and submit a draft decision to the municipal council s. The Law also provides for the possibility for residents of the local government to submit a collective submission to the City Council.
The Ministry proposes to identify areas in which pre-control of binding regulations issued by local governments is to be carried out, while the post-control of the rule of law of the Ministry is maintained, including the right of the Minister to suspend the illegal operation of binding regulations or points thereof. . This will not only ease and make jobs more smooth, but will also reduce the administrative burden within the Ministry itself.
The draft law aims to clarify the procedure for the appointment of the executive director of the local government by providing that the selection of candidates for office is conducted in an open competition, as well as the appointment of the executive director for a term of five years with the possibility to extend the term of office for a further period of five years after the performance of the evaluation of the work of the executive director. . The draft law includes a requirement to organise an open competition also on the amat of the executive director of the local government and the head of the territorial division unit of the county (parish or city) or the administration of their association. U. It is also planned to clarify the restrictions on the joining of the positions of the City Council Member, providing that the Member of the City Council should not take the post of head of the local government authority or his or her deputy.
The draft law provides for the imposition of an obligation on the authorities to issue binding rules, to substantiate their need in the explanatory article of the binding rules and to reflect also their impact on the local government budget, as well as the draft binding rules and the explanatory memorandum thereof shall be published in the local government's official website for the purposes of clarifying public opinion for a period of at least two weeks prior to issue.
In turn, in order for each person to know his or her rights and to have a comfortable access to the regulatory enactment which prescribes it, the binding rules will prescribe a uniform procedure for the coming into force after publication in the official publication “Latvijas Vēstnesis”, as well as will systemise them on the portal likumi.lv, which will also facilitate the work of local government supervisory authorities, including the authorities.
The draft law also clarifies matters of the organisation of the work of the City Council and committees, which concern the holding of meetings, the autonomous functions of the local government and other issues, the resolution of which is currently unclear, outdated or inconsistent with other regulatory enactments.
The drafting of the draft law involves active work with organisations representing the local government and sectoral ministries, as well as a hearing of non-governmental organisations on issues of public involvement in the work of local governments.
In view of the extensive legal framework for municipal activity, WE HAVE been asked by sectoral ministries to provide information on problems and issues to be addressed, which have already been adjusted by other regulatory enactments and should not be maintained in the Law on Local Governments.
The ministry must submit the bill to the government by the end of October. . The law is scheduled to enter into force on July 1, 2021.
We call for an opinion on the drafted draft law to be sent by 8 October to e-mail: dace.balgalve@varam.gov.lv
Information:
Public Relations Department
Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development
Tel. 20200305; 67026533
email: prese@varam.gov.lv