On the problems of determining local self-government and its powers in a unified system of public authority

The result of the ongoing process of local self-government integration into the system of public authority was the adoption in the first reading of the Draft Law «On the general principles of organizing local self-government in a single system of public authority». Concurrently in the said bill, wide discretion is assigned to public authorities in terms of regulating the features of the organization of local self-government in territories, the list of which is not disclosed, the powers of the heads of subjects in relation to the heads of municipalities and heads of local administrations are expanded. This draft law grants the state authorities wide discretion in regulating the peculiarities of the organization of local self-government in the territories whose list is not disclosed, the powers of heads of entities over heads of municipalities and heads of local administrations have been extended.The powers of local self-government bodies are supposed to be expanded, while additional funding is not provided. According to the author these problems can be solved by fixing a specific list of territories, the regulation of the organization of local self-government on which is entrusted to state authorities, specifying cases of liability of the heads of municipalities and local administrations, redistributing tax revenues of budgets with an increase in the share of local budgets or significant adjustment of the powers of local self-government.