Strong municipalities with strong mayors

“The reform of local government will come through its essential modernization"

The creation of local self-government authorities capable of responding to their mission in the modern era, which will have powers and responsibilities with the aim of enhancing democracy at a local and wider level and will carry out work and action for the development of their community, with a view to improving the life of the citizen, should be a pursue of the promoted reform in Cyprus. Moreover, the concept of local self-government denotes the right and ability of local authorities, within the limits of the law, to regulate and manage a substantial part of public affairs under their own responsibility and in the interest of the local population. Through the establishment and creation of 20 new municipalities and the determination of municipal districts, as well as through the establishment and creation of the 5 district self-government organisations, the establishment of community service clusters and the existing communities, by assuming their respective responsibilities, is achieved legislatively the purpose of local government reform. The granted powers are essentially full and exclusive and will be exercised preferably by the authorities closest to the citizen, while discretion is left to them to adapt their exercise to local condition.

Sectors such as development and infrastructure, cleanliness, health and quality of life, social welfare and social cohesion, education and culture, security and civil protection, environmental protection and combating climate change, services, urban planning, digital upgrading and encouraging the participation of citizen in local affairs, are part of the responsibilities, which in the framework of the law, have been granted to the local authorities. They will be exercised by their democratically elected decision-making bodies, with sufficient financial resources from taxes, fees, royalties and state grant, which they will be able to freely dispose of within their powers. The reform of the local self-government in order to have meaning and impact should come through its essential modernization, which will improve the standard of living of the citizen in the place where he lives and works.

The whole effort to implement the reform so that there is a real decentralization of powers and their assumption by the local authorities, requires the accomplishment of a significant task to accelerate the implementation and adjustment of the new legislation regulations. The consultation with the municipalities and communities that merge, but above all their response, since the reform concerns them, is necessary to create the appropriate internal administrative structures, adapted to local needs and new requirements, to ensure effective management.

The common affairs management councils have to do a lot of work as they are responsible for drawing up and approving the organizational chart and staffing of each new municipality and preparing all matters related to its organization and operation. Their obligation is to provide common services from the municipalities to the citizens, but also to deal with every issue related to the transition of the municipalities and communities under merger to single municipalities. The municipalities and communities to be merged, as municipal districts, with their integration into the single municipalities, can be utilized in order to provide services to the citizens, as well as assisting the work of the relevant district committee.

The large number of communities scattered in rural areas can contribute to decentralization and reform, by their voluntary amalgamation with the newly established municipalities or with neighboring communities, creating the possibility of their evolution into a municipality in the future. Their participation in community service clusters and their cooperation with other local authorities contributes to the administration of local affairs within their competence and enhances the provision of quality services to their residents. The economically weaker communities, due to their particularity, are entitled to financial support in the context of the functioning of the equalization mechanism for economic sustainability.

A strong and modernized local government will create strong municipalities, which will be led by strong elected mayors, personalities, with abilities to exercise the executive power of each municipality. The administration of all local affairs together with elected councils, in the enlarged boundaries and the large population, as well as the exercise of all the powers that will be legally surrounded, the transparency, the accountability and the expected participation of the citizens, creates demands and challenges for the election of strong mayors.

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