Content №4 от 2016
Realia of Rural Local Self-Government: Reforms and Their Implications
The article deals with the problems encountered in the system of rural local self-government during the municipal administration reform. Using the example of two rural districts in Altai Krai and Tomsk Oblast, we analyze the effects resulting from the so-called optimized allocation of power and finance between among levels of government. On the basis of budget statistics, we reveal significant differences in revenue and expenditure budgeting between agricultural and resource regions. The article examines the declared priorities and the actual experiences of local authorities, as well as some urgent problems that cannot be solved within the current system. We present evaluations of the implications of the reform made by various members of rural communities. The conclusion is that the link between rural budgeting and economic performance in regions is breaking down. Rural self-government is increasingly becoming detached from the functions related to organizing the economic and social life of the village.
