Budżet obywatelski jako instytucja prawa samorządowego
Participatory budgeting in the local government

Summary/Abstract: The article firstly discusses participatory budgeting in the local government legal system from the point of view of politics. It is regarded as an institution necessary in cities, and not in districts and provinces, due to the weak sense of community in these two types of local governments. Rural municipalities can use the hamlet fund. Also a village meeting directly expresses the will of the rural population during the adoption of the financial plan. Participatory budgeting is only one form of direct local democracy. It is based on waiving by the legislative and executive bodies of part of the political freedom to decide on the directions of budget expenditures. This does not mean that they waive responsibility for the conduct of financial management. Therefore, the participatory budget is a kind of privilege, and as such in future statutory regulations should be optional. Its implementation requires very precise legal framework, so it does not dominate the importance of the local budget on one hand, and on the other hand it does not become an apparent act. Expenditures planned in the participatory budget benefit from greater stability protection than others, even in the case of an unfavorable reduction of budget revenues. Participatory budget is non-independent, auxiliary and complementary. The introduction of such a budget is not a prerequisite for the functioning of local democracy, and is an "added value" of this democracy.

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