Decision-making and control body of local government
Z Encyklopedia Administracji Publicznej
DECISION-MAKING AND CONTROL BODY OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT – the constitutional and statutory definition of the municipality council, county council and voivodship sejmik, bodies operating in three basic types of units: local self-government (municipality, county) and regional self-government (self-governmental voivodship). The name was introduced into Polish legislation in the Second Republic of Poland by virtue of the consolidation act of March 1933. The d-m.a.c.b. is comprised of councillors. In a municipality with the status of a city, the official name of the body is the city council. D-m.a.c.b. comes from local, universal, equal, direct elections conducted by a secret ballot. Term of office of d-m.a.c.b. lasts four years, starting from the day of the election. The name of the self-government body indicates the basic tasks – making acts of local law and exercising supervision over the executive body (village mayor/mayor/president of the city or the board). Control functions are expressed, for example, in the → vote of acceptance for budget execution, the right to request information and reports on current operations, the submission of questions and → interpellations by councillors. D-m.a.c.b. has the competence to dismiss the executive body: in the case of a municipality, this is the initiation of an appeal referendum, in the case of a county and the self-government voivodship – a direct appeal procedure initiated at the session by councillors. The works of d-m.a.c.b. are directed by the chairman, in cooperation with the deputies: in the municipality and the self-government voivodship – from one to three, in the county – from one to two. Meetings of the d-m.a.c.b. are convened by the chairman on his/her own initiative, at least once a quarter. An extraordinary meeting may be requested: in the municipality by the village mayor/mayor/president of the city or a group of at least 1/4 of the statutory composition of the council; in the county – the county board, starost or a group of at least 1/4 of the statutory composition of the council; in the self-government voivodship – the voivodship board or a group of at least 1/4 of the statutory composition of the sejmik. Councillors work at plenary meetings of the council/sejmik and substantive committees (→ councillor; local law; executive body of local government) [ J. Wojnicki ].
Literature: E. Nowacka, Władza samorządu lokalnego [The power of local government], Warszawa 2012 ■ A. Piasecki, Samorząd terytorialny i wspólnoty lokalne [Local government and local communities], Warszawa 2009 ■ E. Zieliński, Administracja rządowa i samorządowa w Polsce [Government and local government administration in Poland], Warszawa 2013.