Competencies and Financing of the City of Bratislava and its Boroughs
Competencies and Financing of the City of Bratislava and its Boroughs

Author(s): Tomáš JACKO, Alexandra KAŇKOVÁ
Subject(s): Public Administration, Economic policy, Fiscal Politics / Budgeting
Published by: Masarykova univerzita nakladatelství
Keywords: local government; competencies; financing; Bratislava; efficiency;
Summary/Abstract: The aim of the paper is to analyze selected competencies and their financing in the City of Bratislava and its 17 city boroughs. The representatives of the City of Bratislava and the respective boroughs argue that they receive insufficient funding in terms of central government income tax revenue distribution. Furthermore, according to research, the current system is costly, inefficient and does not deliver the same quality standards of public service provision for all citizens in Bratislava. The article offers suggestions for possible changes in order to decrease the cost and increase efficient use of public finances. Two key solutions are proposed and discussed. First, reduction in the vast number of city borough councillors. Second, using the analysis of selected competencies transferred from the central government to the municipal registry offices and construction offices, the paper provides a comparative perspective and shows the differences in expenditure and efficiency of individual boroughs and their respective offices. The authors identify performance benchmarks among boroughs and discuss the claims of insufficient funding given to construction offices. The authors collected quantitative data which shows contrasting differences in expenditure and efficiency among the 17 boroughs. Based on an analysis of final accounts and other statistical data, the paper presents results that could make public expenditure of Bratislava city boroughs more economic and efficient.

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