engleski

County councillors: between revenue shortfalls and growing responsibilities

In the last decades the process of decentralization has been present in most European countries. This chapter starts with a review about the scholarly and political debate about decentralisation and particularly the relevance of decentralisation for regional and local economic development. Based on this, the authors explore the role of the second tier of local government and attitudes of second-tier councillors towards a decentralisation process and their perception in fostering local economic development, keeping in mind that there is a gap between revenue shortfalls and growing responsibilities that has been further deepened by the global financial crisis. The authors conclude that in the last few decades many European countries have been faced with the same situation that the share of the second level of local government revenue in terms of GDP stayed at relatively low levels. Central government keeps under its control main revenue sources. Transferred responsibilities to the second tier of local government in the countries analysed are different but generally, the responsibility of the second tier of local government for coordinating local development policy remains low. Because of limited financial resources for current responsibilities, the attitudes of county councillors towards new tasks and responsibilities are not homogenous across the countries analysed. Most county councillors across Europe think that their role in the coordination of local economic development should be more important. Therefore, additional attention is given to the analysis of county councillors’ attitudes towards territorial reforms and the division of responsibilities for providing basic public services/goods between the private and the public sector in different European countries. The emphasis is on an advocacy role of county councillors in the promotion of regional development and overall well-being of the local community.

decentralisation, local economic development, county councillors, Croatia

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