Our local governance

The setting up of local councils in Malta was originally greeted with mixed reactions. Fifteen years on these councils are still very much in the limelight as they struggle to be an effective mediator between residents and central government.

There is no doubt that the role of a local council has evolved and responsibilities have increased albeit exponentially.

Higher expectations mean that councils have to deliver more and, in this light, it was felt that a reform of the original legal act of the local councils was pressingly in order. This reform should address specific and general issues alike in a bid to strengthen the workings of councils, empower and adjust according to the needs of the councils and the residents of today.

Fifteen years down the line, mayors and councillors know where their strengths and weaknesses lie. Likewise, residents have strong opinions on their local council's effectiveness or lack thereof.

But the essence has not and will not change. Council members are elected democratically to serve the good of their locality. They are meant to be of service to the community and to govern as fairly as possible. This is not a one-sided game. Citizens too have a role to play.

In view of all this, Chris Said, Parliamentary Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister, was entrusted with the mammoth task of heading this reform. I use the word entrusted very safely here as Dr Said, a former mayor himself, has a rich experience in local council proceedings and this has surely helped him appreciate and, consequently, navigate the myriad of problems he has been presented with.

A series of meetings with all local councils, various organisations, public meetings and an open public dialogue through different means of communication have resulted in an extremely interesting list of proposals for the government to consider and evaluate. The feedback was not simply encouraging, it was exceedingly tremendous and showed just how much the public is aware of local government.

Decentralisation of power has always been this government's primary objective and it seems that we have now reached the stage where we accept and understand that councils have to be better empowered to meet the challenges of increased responsibilities.

Perhaps it is not surprising that some of the most popular themes proposed included those of a heightened awareness of our environment, stricter enforcement of our Green laws, better police surveillance and, of course, where and when possible, more financial allocations to councils.

Expectations have certainly increased and residents expect their councils to respond to situations with the maximum of efficacy. In turn, councils require the necessary human resources, finances and legal frameworks to enable them to take action effectively. Herein lies the crux of the whole problem.

Decentralising even further is a courageous step that will, most probably, go a long way towards increasing better customer service, thus reducing palpable frustrations in relation to national authorities and entities. In this respect local councils can be that valuable tool which could turn frustratingly slow and bureaucratic processes into a quick and efficient one-stop shop at the local council office.

One believes that this can be done and will be done with the appropriate systems and backup in place.

If only I could get a penny (a euro cent!) every time I read a letter in this and other newspapers complaining about some council or other, about its actions or lack of them! My advice to all and sundry is to grab this opportunity and make their voice heard. I urge all to participate in this nationwide dialogue and help our decision-makers reach the best conclusions for our councils. Thus can be done by visiting the site at and posting one's suggestions.

Local government is there to serve us and, therefore, we should have our say on how to improve the service that our locality is receiving.

The author is a Nationalist local councillor and member of the PN executive committee.

info@carolinegalea.com