Studies on the influence of COVID-19 on municipalities are scarce, although it was precisely municipalities that stood in the first line of combat. It is important to estimate the negative budgetary consequences of the crisis for municipalities and to detect potential patterns in the application of their anti-crisis financial instruments. Our study reveals that the initial response of Polish municipalities to the pandemic crisis in this area varied depending on their administrative type, the amount of current income per capita and the population size. However, the correlations between the applied income instruments and expenditures and the above factors were rather weak.
The article presents selected issues related to the digital transformation of Poland from the perspective of local government. It poses the following questions: How should we understand the digital transformation in general and the digital transformation of local government? Why should local government choose this path for transformation and what impact does it have? The article uses the method of analysis and criticism of the literature. The conclusions drawn from the research are as follows: the digital transformation of local government is the entirety of the changes taking place in it in terms of the services, processes, resources, organizational culture and competences using digital technologies. The purpose of these changes is to improve the quality of life and achieve the goals of sustainable development. Each local government unit must enter the path of digital transformation. It is an objective of necessity resulting mainly from social needs (expectations) for which the local government has been appointed. These needs can be divided into several categories. Residents require easier shopping and handling of administrative matters, as well as access to information and efficient communication. They also report the need for improving the conditions of work, maintaining employment, and accessing professional development. The expectation of reduced social inequalities remains valid. Residents and entrepreneurs expect Internet access and free mobility, and the latter also require support in optimizing business processes. In the conditions of developing the digital economy, we also expect the creation of an efficient system of warnings about threats and ensuring safety on the Internet. All aspects cause changes in the economy and the financing of local government. These mainly concern its functions and scope of performed tasks, the how social needs are satisfied and the tools used.
Although cybersecurity is an important and complex issue that should be addressed by all government levels, so far little research has been devoted to cybersecurity at the local level. Existing literature lacks information on whether municipalities have implemented cybersecurity policies, if such policies are applied in practice and what they encompass. A CAWI method was used to collect the required data. The results indicate that while most municipalities have a document defining their security policy, they do not always apply it in practice. There is still little awareness regarding countering cyber-attacks. Therefore, more emphasis should be placed on such issues as: integrating cybersecurity policies into local government management, the rising threat of cyber-attacks, consultations with security auditors, and cybersecurity management training. Based on all Polish municipalities, the research described in this paper partly fills the identified gap.
Streszczenie: Zrównoważony rozwój lokalny może być finansowany z dochodów własnych gmin, w tym o charakterze podatkowym. Gminy mają jednak różną zdolność dochodową, więc powstają między nimi różnice w wysokości dochodów własnych i wydatków na zadania własne, w przeliczeniu na mieszkańca. Nadmierne różnice są niekorzystne z punktu widzenia zrównoważonego rozwoju kraju, dlatego organy państwa ustanowiły mechanizmy wyrównywania fiskalnego. W badaniu gmin województwa wielkopolskiego dowiedziono, że subwencja ogólna zmniejsza zróżnicowanie dochodów gmin o ponad 60%, a tym samym zwiększa możliwości finansowania przez nie zadań podejmowanych w celu urzeczywistnienia idei zrównoważonego rozwoju lokalnego.Słowa kluczowe: rozwój zrównoważony, dochody podatkowe, subwencja ogólna, województwo wielkopolskie.Klasyfikacja JEL: H71, H77. EQUALISING THE INCOME OF MUNICIPALITIES AS A PRECONDITION OF THEIR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT?Abstract: Sustainable local development can be funded with municipalities' own fiscal revenues. However, municipalities vary in terms of their income generating capacities, so their own revenues and expenditures on their own tasks per capita also differ significantly. Excessive differences between local self-government units have a negative impact on the sustainable development of a country. Therefore, state
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