Współistnienie budżetów obywatelskich i funduszy sołeckich jako form partycypacji publicznej
Co-Existence of Civic Budgets and Village Council Funds as Forms of Public Participation

Summary/Abstract: One area of local policy-making that has been gaining importance in recent times is the possibility of involving residents in the governance process through public participation mechanisms. The simultaneous use of civic (participatory) budgets and village funds in some Polish rural municipalities raises the question of the solutions adopted for civic budgets as more flexible than formalised village funds. Based on a comparative analysis of civic budget bylaws of rural municipalities that used both forms of public participation of residents between 2020 and 2023, two basic forms of civic budgeting possible in rural municipalities were identified, depending on the objectives that local authorities intend to achieve. The first of these is a conservative model, largely mimicking the solutions of the village fund, and in practice also dedicated to villages (taking into account the civic budget regulations). The latter is an active model, in practice complementary to the village fund, partly or entirely addressing problems affecting important parts of the municipality or its entire area. Using this model, residents may report needs that are relevant to many villages and which would be difficult or impossible to implement with the use the village fund. The results of the research may provide guidance for village councils considering the rationale for implementing a civic budget alongside the fund.

• Details
• Contents