Local administration in Poland and the Wielkopolska voivodship
Pursuant to the Constitution of the Republic of Poland, local administration participates in executing authority as well as in a significant portion of civil authority tasks.
The area of the local administration's operation includes its own tasks encompassing civil tasks satisfying the needs of its community as well as the tasks assigned by the state administration. The following regulate the competency scope of individual local administration tiers:
- gmina's local administration - March 8, 1990 Legislative Act,
- powiat's local administration - June 5, 1998 Legislative Act.
- voivodship local administration - June 5, 1998 Legislative Act.
The bodies of the local administration units are as follows:
- gmina: legislative and supervisory bodies - gmina's Council and executive body - mayor of a rural gmina, mayor of an urban gmina or mayor of a major city.
- powiat: legislative and supervisory bodies - gmina's Council and executive body - powiat Council with starost (chairperson of the powiat executive board at its head).
- voivodship: legislative and supervisory bodies - local government assembly and an executive body - the voivodship Council headed by the voivodship marshal as its presiding officer.
The gmina, powiat and voivodship councilmen as well as mayors of rural gminas (voits), (mayors of urban gminas, mayors of major cities) are elected in general, equal, direct election by a secret ballot.
Local government budgets include their own income as well as general and specifically directed subsidies from the national budget. The above units are authorized to set taxes and local charges based on legislative legal regulations.
The function of local governments is supervised by central administration - Prime Minister and voivods and regional Audit Chambers.
The Wielkopolska Voivodship is divided into 31 powiats in total encompassing 226 gminas. These powiats are called rural powiats. The central offices of powiats are located in the following cities:
Chodzież, Czarnków, Gniezno, Gostyń, Grodzisk Wielkopolski, Jarocin, Kalisz, Kępno, Koło, Konin, Kościan, Krotoszyn, Leszno, Międzychód, Nowy Tomyśl, Oborniki Wielkopolskie, Ostrów Wielkopolski, Ostrzeszów, Piła, Pleszew, Poznań, Rawicz, Słupca, Szamotuły, Śrem, Środa Wielkopolska, Turek, Wągrowiec, Wolsztyn, Września and Złotów.
Moreover, within a voivodship there are 4 cities with a powiat status, also called urban powiats: Kalisz, Konin, Leszno i Poznań. These are cities, which until December 31, 1998 were the seat of voivodships.
Powiats in the Wielkopolska Voivodship
