Authors

• Foundation for Municipal Development

Keywords

European Union, financial resources, local finance, local government, local government services, local taxation, municipal government, political influence, privatization, public services

Abstract

The Local government barometer 1993 probed citizens' opinions on different means of improving the financial state of Finnish municipalities. The respondents were asked, for example, how efficient and appropriate it would be to raise municipal taxes, cut down or privatise services, increase loans, collect service fees, sell public property, stall investments, promote consolidations of municipalities or municipal co-operation, denounce or lay off employees, cut down employee wages, reduce the number of elected officials, introduce profit responsibility into civil service departments and organisations, increase or decrease state control, and increase citizen influence on municipal matters.

Respondents were, furthermore, monitored on attitudes towards the fixed-term contracts of senior civil servants and municipal / city managers, electoral system, consolidation of municipalities, work efficiency of municipal employees, municipal self-government, the impact of the EU membership on one's home municipality, foreigners and refugees, and turning public service organisations into public utilities. They were also asked to describe their political views and attitudes towards the EU membership.

The respondents were asked how much money their families should have in order to manage barely, manage reasonably well, and extremely well. Background variables included respondent's gender, age, basic education, vocational education, marital status, household's gross income, age structure, number of household members, occupational group of the head of the household, type of neighbourhood, municipality of residence, and the province of residence.