CHANGED LIGHTS OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT REFORM

 Filenews 8 August 2020 -Vasos Vassiliou

There are still considerable disagreements between municipalities with provisions of the bill on the reform of Local Government and their positions have been forwarded to the Parliamentary Committee on the Interior. Disagreements concern both the administrative autonomy of municipalities and financial resources, since they consider that reform is not conceived without having secured revenue or being under the guardianship of the official State.

One of the main objections of the Association of Municipalities concerns the authorisation of development, because they consider that this power is referred to them (in most municipalities) over time after a five-year adjustment schedule has been set. The Association of Municipalities has recommended that the five-year period be removed and that provision should instead be made for Regulations, which will now lay down certain criteria such as the necessary staffing, know-how and financial viability of each municipality's service.

The Association of Municipalities considers that the provision of a period of five years to municipalities (which are not ready to issue the permits immediately) will wrong many of the municipalities, who will be ready to offer this service much earlier than five years.

In addition, the Association of Municipalities, by letter from the President of Mrs Andreas Vyra, recommended that provision be added to exclude new municipalities, which will be set up exclusively by communities, for a period of one year. They also recommend that building permits for them be issued by the State.

Among other things, in the letter of the President of the Association of Municipalities, municipalities request that the owner's consent not be required for planting trees along public roads, the placement of protective covers, where necessary, and for the issuance of the relevant permits. More generally, municipalities raise the issue of management, exploitation, maintenance, design, landscape art and improvement of parks, gardens, stadiums, swimming pools, sanitary areas, recreation areas and cultural infrastructure, without the consent of the owner. Municipalities seek to issue the relevant permits themselves regardless of the provisions of any other Laws and Regulations.

Municipalities explain that their demand is aimed at solving practical and everyday problems faced by those in this area. They indicate that very often, a municipality is unable to proceed with small-scale utility projects that are considered simple and basic (e.g. lavatories, changing rooms, a basketball court within the park) because the approval process is not clear, as it has never been determined or undertaken by any Department or Department of the State.

Municipalities also disagree with their assessment of the adequacy of their health services by the health services of the Ministry of Health.

In addition, municipalities claim that their state provides state assistance in the event of a substantial reduction in their revenues. They also note that, as the provision has been formulated, it is solely up to the State to decide on state sponsorship, which is contrary to one of the main pillars of the reform, namely the economic autonomy of the municipalities.

As far as administrative supervision is concerned, the municipalities indicate that the Minister still has administrative supervision over the municipalities. As regards the school tax authorities and the provision for their ascension by the municipalities, it is argued that, as the relevant article states, the undertaking is transferred over a period of more than ten years. In fact, Mr Vyras is talking about the purposes of the differences that have taken place.