Strengthening the functions of Municipal Councils representation and oversight as the main representative body of the Municipality has been the discussion in all 12 regions of the country.
These meetings in 12 regions of the country were organized in concrete cooperation with the institutions of the Regional Councils starting from Korça and closing in Tirana.
The closing meeting took place in Tirana, where the chairman of the Region and Tirana Municipal Council participated. Mr. Aldrin Dalipi is also President of the Albanian Association of Regions.
As well, Director of AMVV, Mr. Bekim Murati, Mr. Jackque Merat from the Swiss project, and members from Regional and Local Councils were present at this closing meeting.
What was highlighted in these meetings was, among other things, the function of the Council Secretary (CS) identified as one of the aspects that facilitates a better functioning of the City Council.
Within the framework of the program BtF (Strong Municipalities) aiming to strengthen CS’s role and performance by seeing the possibility of enhancing the institutional capacity building.
BtF has contracted the Urban Research Institute to undertake a research that through field visits, research of relevant documents, similar cases and office work will analyze the current CS framework. Will explore experiences from other countries and propose changes or improvements that will enable structural improvement and achieve better performance of this important administrative link, connecting the representative and executive body of a municipality.
From all the research work (interviews in some municipalities and decentralized bodies at the regional level) with the stakeholders, it was concluded that CS is the only administrative instrument of the City Council to cover its responsibilities and functions.
Among other things, the exhaustive exercise of the Council’s functions and consequently the effective engagement of the CS would require a very wide interaction which includes, but is not limited to, a considerable number of directives within the executive of the municipality, committees of councils and institutions decentralized at the regional level. What was achieved at these meetings and at the conclusion of the research, is noticing that the Secretary of the Municipal Council has an area of activity and a duty and responsibilities broader than those provided in Law no.139/2015, those (responsibilities) actually correspond to the responsibilities of City Council beyond what is stated in points 2 and 3 of Article 57 of Law 139/2015.
In the current conditions, these responsibilities are charged either with the consent or the will of the municipal councils, and the role of the Secretary is different in scope and objectives for different municipalities (the case of Tirana Municipality which de facto created a Secretariat).
In this context, in addition to the details of the role and responsibilities of the Council Secretary, it should be considered the alternative for a structure in the department of the municipality named as the Council Secretariat.
The Association of Albanian Regional Councils, in cooperation with the Municipal Project of Bashki të Forta (BtF) recently took the initiative for regional meetings in all the Regions for strengthening the role of the Secretaries of Municipal Councils.
The entire project is based on the Strong Municipal Report and the Urban Research Institute which has undertaken a research work that through field visits, research of relevant documents, similar cases and office work to analyze the current framework of functioning of the Secretary of the City Council.
The President of the Association, Mr. Aldin Dalipi and the International Partners thanked all the regional presidents throughout the country for their direct and precious contribution.
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