RIGA, Oct. 3 (Xinhua) -- The Latvian Environmental Protection and Regional Development Ministry, which is pushing ahead with a sweeping municipal reform, proposes reducing the number of members of Latvia's local government councils by 56 percent, according to draft legislation presented by the ministry on Thursday.

As part of the municipal reform plan, the ministry has drawn up amendments to the local and regional elections law that would reduce the number of local and regional councilors by 909.

At present, there are 1,614 councilors working in Latvia's 119 municipalities, but the reform planned by the ministry envisages slashing the number of municipalities to 36 through mergers.

The ministry explained that the legislative amendments are necessary to adjust the local councils' size to each particular territory, enable effective decision-making and functioning of local governments, as well as to ensure separation of the legislative and executive branches.

According to the draft amendments proposed by the ministry, in municipalities with up to 30,000 residents the local councils will have 15 members, in municipalities with populations between 30,000 and 60,000, the council will have 19 members, in municipalities with populations between 60,000 and 100,000, the councils will have 23 members, and larger municipalities with more than 100,000 residents will each have 25 council members.

This regulation, however, will not apply to the capital city Riga.

According to the ministry's estimates, the reduction of the local government councils will help save more than one million euros a year. Enditem

Related

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)