Budget and Financial Balance Including the Problem of Financial Stability of Communes and Cities With County Rights

Abstract

The main purpose of the study was to assess the budget and financial balance, including financial stability and compare the situation of all communes and cities with county status, with particular emphasis on the situation of communes and cities with county status in the Lubelskie Voivodship. The choice of the Lubelskie Voivodship was deliberate and dictated by its low level of development expressed by a GDP per capita value significantly lower than the national average and much lower than the EU average (48% of the EU average) and poor financial potential. The time scope of the research was limited to 2018-2020, however, in 2020, current available data only covering Q3 was used. The main source of data was information obtained from the Ministry of Finance, Regional Audit Chamber and Local Data Bank GUS. An analysis and criticism of literature was carried out and selected research methods were used, including general methods, and quantitative methods of financial analysis (ratio analysis). The obtained results confirm that the situation of the budget balance and current balance of the surveyed units differs, while the value of the calculated ratios relating to financial balance, including financial stability, varied and these differences were revealed in the types of units and according to their number and location (all units of a given type – Poland or units of the Lubelskie Voivodship). Changes in the analysed values over time were also noted.