30 May 2026
(A session of the Odesa City Council. PHOTOS: Odesa City Council)
Local self-government is the right of residents to decide on issues of local importance. There are a number of legislative provisions that define local self-government.
"Local self-government means the right and capacity of local authorities to regulate and manage, within the limits of the law, a substantial part of public affairs, under their own responsibility, in the interests of their local population" (Article 3(1) of the European Charter of Local Self-Government).
"Local self-government is the right of a territorial community - residents of a village or a voluntary association of residents of several villages, towns and cities - to independently resolve issues of local importance within the framework of the Constitution and laws of Ukraine" (Article 140(1) of the Constitution of Ukraine).
"Local self-government in Ukraine is the right guaranteed by the state and the real ability of a territorial community - residents of a village or a voluntary association of residents of several villages, towns, or cities - to independently or under the responsibility of local self-government bodies and officials to resolve issues of local importance within the framework of the Constitution and laws of Ukraine.
Local self-government is exercised by territorial communities of villages, towns, and cities both directly and through village, town, and city councils and their executive bodies, as well as through district and regional councils representing the common interests of territorial communities of villages, towns, and cities" (Article 2 of the Law of Ukraine "On Local Self-Government in Ukraine").
Local self-government of communities is divided into:
A territorial community is a group of residents united by permanent residence within a village, town, or city that is an independent administrative-territorial unit, or a voluntary association of residents of several villages, towns, or cities that have a single administrative center. In our case, the territorial community is people who permanently reside in the city of Odesa.
Thecity council is a representative body of local self-government. It consists of deputies elected for a certain period of time, whose task is to represent the interests of the respective community. A deputy is not an employee of the city council, but a representative of the community elected by the residents. In other words, a deputy is a person who has won an election, holds an elected position, and is obliged to act in the interests of community members, in particular by voting for draft decisions in the session hall.
Themayor is the chief official of the territorial community.
The executive bodies ofthe city council consist of the main structure, the executive committee of the council, and other executive bodies of the council - departments, offices, and divisions. It is the executive bodies that carry out the day-to-day work.
Self-organization bodies are public associations to which the city council delegates some of the powers of the council and executive bodies of the council along with budgetary funding for the activities of these public associations.
The territorial community, i.e. local residents, have the right to participate in:
In fact, all rights, except for the last point, depend on the goodwill of the local council.
City council and council members. Here, the functions depend on the format of the deputy's work. Forms of work include a council session in the form of plenary meetings, work in permanent committees, and individual work of a deputy with voters.
The list of issues to be resolved exclusively at plenary sessions of the council is specified in Article 26 of the Law of Ukraine 'On Local Self-Government in Ukraine'. This means that any decision in the form of a regulatory document can be made exclusively at the session.
Standing committeesof the council are a form of work of deputies during the intersessional period. The commissions, among other things, have the right to preliminarily review draft decisions submitted to the session and prepare their opinions on these drafts; prepare reviews of the state of certain components of the local economy and their conclusions on these issues, and have the right to develop draft decisions.
The individual work of a deputy with voters is carried out on the basis of the Law of Ukraine "On the Status of Local Council Deputies" in the form of personal reception of citizens to address individual issues and the organization of reception of citizens by their assistants.
Thecity mayor organizes the work of the council and is the head of the council staff and executive committee of the council, signs resolutions of the council and its executive committee, has the right to veto resolutions of the council, represents the community, the council and its executive committee in relations with other communities, the state, and in international relations.
The executive bodies of the council have powers in many areas, which are specified in Articles 27-40 of the Law of Ukraine 'On Local Self-Government in Ukraine'. All powers are divided into:
Executive bodies of the city council are engaged in the day-to-day management of the city. They
The executive bodies include the executive committee of the council and its subordinate departments, offices and divisions.
Self-organization bodies have the following functions:
The territorial community does not report to anyone.
City council. The council itself does not report on its work. Standing committees of the council are accountable to the council. Each council member must report on his/her work to the voters.
Thecity mayor is accountable to the community and the city council for his/her work. And when executive bodies of the city council exercise state powers, their activities are also controlled by the state authorities. Also, the city mayor reports to the community at least twice a year at an open meeting so that community members have the opportunity to ask questions to the mayor.
Theexecutive bodies of the city council report to the city council, and in matters of exercising state powers - also to the state authorities.
Self-organization bodies are accountable and controlled by the local council and its executive committee, and are accountable to the residents whose interests they represent. The reporting procedure is defined in the regulation of the self-organization body.
In fact, everything depends on the goodwill of the city council. In Odesa, district councils currently do not exist.
District and regional councils represent the common interests of communities and make decisions on the development of their respective territories. At the same time, they delegate a significant part of their powers to district and regional state administrations. Therefore, it is the administrations that actually perform many of the administrative functions that in urban communities are usually performed by the executive bodies of city councils. Also, district and regional councils can consider local initiatives of community residents.
Сергій Бондаренко