Formation and prospects for the development of local self-government in Ukraine

The article examines the formation and prospects for the development of local self-government in Ukraine. In particular, it is noted that local self-government in Ukraine is the right of a territorial community to independently resolve issues of local importance within the framework of the Constitution and laws of Ukraine. It is exercised both directly by citizens and through councils and their executive bodies. The state guarantees this right and ensures its implementation, determining the powers and mechanisms for the functioning of local self-government. The modern system of local self-government began to take shape after gaining independence in 1991. Ukraine adopted the Law “On Local Self-Government in Ukraine” in 1997, which laid the foundations for the creation and functioning of local self-government bodies. The system of local self-government in Ukraine has undergone reform as part of the decentralization process. The main stages of the local self-government reform, which was launched in 2014, are revealed. The reasons for the reform were the ineffectiveness of the administrative-territorial structure (the old system with a large number of districts and their functions was not effective), legal uncertainty that arose due to the unclear demarcation of powers of local self-government bodies and local executive bodies of general functioning, and insufficient funding and lack of resources in local communities, which hampered their development. The reform of local self-government in Ukraine was aimed at increasing the efficiency of administration at the local level. It is noted that one of the most important areas of the reform was the decentralization of power, which provided for the transfer of most of the powers, resources and responsibilities from central authorities to local self-government bodies. In addition, the effectiveness of local development largely depends on local initiative and the participation of communities themselves in managing local affairs. Therefore, the reform provided communities with tools for greater autonomy and financial independence. Another area of the reform was the provision of quality services to residents that meet their local needs. It is noted that the following aspects of the functioning of local self-government in Ukraine require further development and improvement: legislative support, expansion of local budgets, and active involvement of citizens in decision-making at the local level.