Paper/Speech Details of Conference Program for the 20th NISPAcee Annual Conference Program Overview Local Government Author(s) Inga Vilka University of Latvia Riga Latvia Lilita Seimuskane Title The evaluation of local government reform in Latvia from current perspective File Paper files are available only for conference participants, please login first. Presenter Inga Vilka Abstract THE EVALUATION OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT REFORM IN LATVIA FROM CURRENT PERSPECTIVE Inga Vilka Right after the renewal of the state independency in 1991 local government reform was started in Latvia as a part of public administration reform. In 1993 the government approved the Concept on Local Government Reform. The main tasks of the reform were to democratize and decentralize the state power, to strengthen local government competence and responsibility and to ensure involvement of inhabitants in local government activities. The reform included formation of local government legal base, functional, territorial, finance, administration reforms etc. Majority of tasks stated in the Concept was implemented in first seven years. The core of the local government reform was administrative territorial reform what in base was finished in 2009. Within it the number of local governments was reduced almost five times, and the second tier - district governments were abolished. Now there is single tier local government system in Latvia with 119 local governments. The objective of the paper is to evaluate the Latvia’s local government reform and determine the further directions of local government reform from today’s perspective. The main method used in this empirical paper is the qualitative analysis of the results and the process of the reform in current situation by comparing the reached with expected and with theoretical aspects. There is analysis of documents, statistical information, budget data, results of surveys used in the paper. It consists from chapters on results of administrative territorial reform, local government finance autonomy and society involvement in local affairs. The larger and stronger local governments are important precondition for decentralization. At the same time the formation of larger local governments often are stated opposite to local democracy level. After territorial reform the disparities between local governments still is significant. Local government self-evaluation survey reflected that leaders of 52% of local governments are very or rather unsatisfied with the administrative territorial division in the country after the reform. The further reorganization of territories (both – amalgamation and division) is expected in the future. Within the administrative territorial reform the issue of second (regional) tier local governments has to be solved. The further steps in local government finance reforms are connected with the strengthening of local finance autonomy. There are no local taxes in Latvia, significant share of revenues is earmarked state transfers, local governments borrowing rights are strongly limited, existing finance equalization system has insufficient fairness, motivation and understanding. Determined local government institutional framework in Latvia does not fit with the diversity of local governments. In the future the use of modern management and service provision methods have to be supported with the resignation from the principle “one fits all” from the central government side. Local society with different methods including local referendums has to be involved in the setting of local government structure, agenda and future plans. Here is actual not only adequate legal framework, but the will of local leaders and administration to cooperate with active society is ruling.
