Territorial administrative reform of Lithuania and its setback : Specific position of suburban municipalities

Abstract

The question of further development of suburban territories in Lithuania falls into broader problem of unfinished territorial administrative reform. In 2002, general number of municipalities expanded up to 60, and then the reform stopped. Necessity of territorial reforms became evident already in early post-communism reasoning by two groups of arguments. One, quality of administration and public services (decision made closer to consumer is more effective), another, giving more legitimacy to local level (Illner, 1999). These arguments might be combined: providing services on the possible lowest level is more effective due to better respond to community needs; self-perception of community is enhanced by that (Goldsmith, 1997; Mazylis and co-authors, 2002). When municipalities in neighboring CEE countries, typically, too small, in Lithuania they have above 50000 inhabitants in average. Thus, the task is to establish new well functioning municipalities (up to 100). Here, status of suburban territories is quite specific post-communist relict: so-called „band municipalities” surrounding big cities. Problems of institutional „ex-territoriality”, use of infrastructure objects by inhabitants of two municipalities, as well as city development problems typically occur. Government proposes, fragmenting „band territory” closer territories to the city. The aim of this paper is, to analyze systemically perspectives of suburban territories within context of territorial administrative reform evaluating appropriateness of Government’ criteria, taking into account experience of recent reform, position of different actors involved as well as tendencies of public opinion. Main methods: opinion polls analysis followed by semi-structured interviews with state and municipal employees and politicians, and mass media content analysis.[...]