Splits in responsibilities between local councils and other government departments are leading to inefficiencies and confusing residents, according to a Council of Europe report.
“For example, responsibility for the repair of street lights is split between the local council and a central provider depending on whether the lamp is attached to a wall or a post,” according to the study that recommended addressing the issue.
The report was drawn up by the Council of Europe’s centre for expertise and local government reform. It was invited by the Maltese government to carry out a peer review on the local government reform in Malta.
The review took place in September and the report, concluded last month and seen by this newspaper, listed various proposals to improve the current system made up of 68 local councils.
The review started off by noting that the government recognised the need to reform the present system but had yet to develop a clear strategy for the reform agenda.
It recommended that options for reform are developed by an independent review commission established with stakeholders that include academics. The last reform took place in 2009 and included increasing the local councils’ term from three to four years.
The report placed great emphasis on the need to provide mandatory training for mayors, executive secretaries and councillors to ensure they knew their roles.
The government recognises the need to reform the present system but has yet to develop a clear strategy for the reform agenda
The need for training was recently raised by the Local Governance Board and Local Council Association president Marc Sant. Mr Sant said those contesting local council elections should have to undergo some basic training to ensure they know what they are getting into.
If they were eventually elected, he said, they should undergo more intensive training to ensure they had a good understanding of the laws governing local councils.
Focusing on mayors, the Council of Europe report said there seemed to be “variation in the interpretation of the role” with some mayors not attending council meetings.
It called for greater transparency in the recruitment of executive secretaries to ensure the most competent people were appointed.
The Local Councils’ Association should be involved in training and capacity building, the report said.
The role of the association should be strengthened and it should be adequately resourced so that it could act as a catalyst for driving efficiencies and good practice.
Turning to inefficiencies, the report said that local councils currently procured contracts (such as cleaning contracts) in isolation rather than working according to geographical areas to secure better deals.
Consideration could be given to the procurement of goods and services to maximise the economies of scale, it said.
Finally, the report reiterated the need to review the outdated 1995 formula for central government funding.
“The review of public services should include a holistic review to local financing arrangements. Whether local financing is at a regional level or devolved to the 68 local councils, or both, a clear legislative framework needs to be in place to enable respective organisations to fund their aspirations for the local area,” it said.