Citizens and the city: the case for participatory budgeting in the City of Zagreb

Abstract

sandra švaljek, ivana rašić bakarić, marijana sumpor: citizens and the city: the case for participatory budgeting in the city of zagreb public sector economics 43 (1) 21-48 (2019) 22 Abstract Since there is constant concern that local government heads allocate budget resources in favour of various pressure groups, the paper investigates whether local participatory budgeting can be implemented in order to better align budget allocation with citizens' needs in the Croatian context. The paper analyses the results of the citizen survey intended to question whether the citizens of Zagreb could embrace the participatory budgeting, based on their interest in the way the money of Zagreb's taxpayers is spent and willingness to participate in the budget preparation process. The main determinants of the interest, awareness and participation of citizens in local budget processes are explored as well. The results of this study indicate a moderate level of citizen awareness and interest in local budget processes, but an extremely low level of participation. Since citizen participation is crucial for democratic decision-making and ensuring transparency and accountability, the identified factors should be addressed in a planned manner. Citizens' willingness and capacity can be increased through raising awareness and implementing measures intended to encourage spontaneous participation.

The Impact of Institutional and Political Factors on Timely Adoption of Local Community Budgets

“…We found out that the collaboration between the mayor and finance director is an important institutional factor affecting the adoption of the budget, with mutual trust, openness, and daily collaboration as the basis for good and timely performance of tasks and preparation and adoption of the local community's budget. Other research showed that local governments, representatives, and citizens often perceive public budgeting as a difficult administrative task that should be handled by experts who have specialized knowledge, technical skills, and experience [17]; we assumed that these experts are finance directors. In our research we made a step forward and claimed that the collaboration between the mayor and finance expert in preparing the budget is necessary.…”

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“…In addition, there were several projects financed by international donors, aimed at fostering fiscal transparency and enabling citizens to involve themselves in budgetary decision-making. Citizen participation in the budget process is crucial for ensuring democratic, transparent and politically accountable decision-making in public finance (Švaljek, Rašić Bakarić and Sumpor, 2019). These authors find that public policy needs to focus on raising awareness among citizens of the ways they could influence the budget process.…”

Predictors of the Intention to Participate in Slum Upgrading Projects: Perceptions of Slum Dwellers in Mauritius

“…For example, Pahl-Wostl and Hare (2004) reported on the importance of knowledge and information for long-term participatory management of integrated resource management projects. Several scholars also argued for increasing awareness and knowledge on environmental management and technical matters in promoting effective public participation (Kamaruddin et al, 2016; Švaljek et al, 2019; Zellatifanny et al, 2021). It is contended that self-efficacy and elements contributing to local empowerment could lead to a positive attitude towards participation.…”