2024-03-16 03:31:27
All key issues for the autonomy and proper functioning of self-government, such as resources and personnel, remain “open”, with the Ministry of the Interior still in the… discussion on the Uniform Code of Self-Government, but it seems that it has decided on the change of election time.
The Ministry’s proposal is that the self-government elections be held in mid-November, with the second round at the end of November and beginning of December, so that there is not a long gap between the elections and the assumption of the duties of the new municipal authorities.
This was the only specific proposal heard by the deputy minister of the interior, Theodore Livanos, during the first meeting of the board of directors of the Central Union of Municipalities of Greece, with its new composition, after the elections.
From there, Mr. Livanios was content to list the important issues that should be resolved and concern statutory, institutional and financial issues of self-government. “We have the opportunity in this five-year period to work together for a better self-government. To work for the transition of the Local Government to its new era and to offer better services to the citizens. The problems of self-government unite. But we also have issues in front of us that we have to deal with”, he noted, admitting that there is a “chaos” regarding the responsibilities of the municipalities and the polynomial.
Referring to the axes that will be included in the Uniform Code, he noted that care must be taken regarding issues concerning the statutory position of elected officials, the role of the municipal council, which must decide on major and important issues and not deal with official matters, independent supervision, to avoid delays, and the clarification of responsibilities, as, especially in cases of natural disasters, “there are many responsible and ultimately no one”.
With regard to financial management, Mr. Livanios emphasized that provisions from the 70s and 80s apply today, noting that municipalities should have the appropriate collection mechanisms for fees from energy providers, as well as access to financial data of large debtors, as well as the possibility of allocating fees by business activity, something that cannot be done today due to the computerized system.
At the same time, he underlined the role of self-government in development, the necessity to “close” issues of basic water supply and drainage infrastructure in mountainous and island municipalities in particular, and the need to find a way to speed up recruitment through ASEP or even strengthen locality in special cases of remote municipalities, as requested by the elected officials.
Finally, Mr. Livanios emphasized that the upcoming constitutional review is a great opportunity for the KEDE to submit documented proposals for self-government.
A series of issues concerning self-government were raised by the mayors and members of the municipal councils that participate in the body, including the mayor of Ioannina, Thomas Begas.
At the beginning of the meeting, a memorandum with requests was submitted by the president of KEDE, Lazaros Kyrizoglou, while the head of the main opposition and the “Self-Governing Now” faction, the mayor of Athens, Haris Doukas, referred to the withheld resources, the need for recruitment, the transfer of responsibilities without resources and to the deficiencies in school infrastructure, while he requested a joint initiative with the Ministry of Health regarding the imminent abolition of Prevention Centers, such as the Center for the Prevention of Dependencies and the Promotion of Psychosocial Health “Schedia”, expressing his support for the administrations and employees . The joint resolution was conveyed to Mr. Doukas by the mayor of Ioannina after the meeting he had with the president Sofia Markoulas and employees of “Schedia”.
Finally, the need to resolve “common sense” issues, such as the issue of funding and personnel, in order for the self-government to fulfill its purpose, was raised by the head of the “People’s Gathering”, Patreon mayor Kostas Peletidis. “The strategy says no to staff, but let the work go to the contractors and our cities, and we will be judged by whether the contractors are good. Is that how municipalities are built? If we don’t answer them, there is no discussion about others”, emphasized Mr. Peletidis.