The residents’ participation on the local level – on the example of Elbląg

Abstract

The aim of the article was to describe the participation of the Elbląg residents in the town matters. An analysis of the rules of the participatory budgeting, resolutionpassing initiative and public consultations was conducted. The referendum concerning the dismissal of the mayor and the Town Council of Elbląg held in 2013 was an important matter for the residents of Elbląg. On account of a wide range of the topic, it wasn’t discussed in this text. A local initiative with some procedures introduced but with no real action taken was also mentioned. The content analysis was based on the resolutions of the Town Council in Elbląg, the mayor’s directives, the strategies of the town development, reports and materials of the Town Council Office. The author also conducted several interviews with the representatives of non-governmental organizations
and the local authorities. Some conclusions were drawn in the final part of the
text. The most important was the statement that all the most important elements of the public participation are present in the town, but the need of strengthening the mechanisms, applying various forms of communication and information, and encouraging the residents to become more active is still very strong in Elbląg.