Territorial Self Administration

- Constitution of Slovakia

CHAPTER FOUR - Territorial Self-Administration

Article 64

(1) The community is the basic element of territorial self-administration.

(2) The community is an independent territorial and administrative unit of the Slovak Republic comprising persons who are permanently resident on its territory.

(3) The self-administration of higher territorial units and their bodies will be established by law.

Article 65

(1) The community is a juridical person that, under conditions set out in a law, independently manages its own property and financial resources.

(2) The community finances its needs, first and foremost, from its own revenues, as well as from state subsidies. The law specifies which taxes and fees represent communities' revenue. State subsidies may be claimed only within the limits of the law.

Article 66

The community has the right to pool its resources with those of other communities in the interest of ensuring matters of common interest.

Article 67

The community decides independently in matters of local self-administration. Duties and restrictions may be imposed on it only by the law. Territorial self-administration is enacted at meetings of community residents, by means of a local referendum, or through community bodies.

Article 68

The community may issue generally binding decrees in matters of local self-administration.

Article 69

(1) Community bodies are

a) the community representative body

b) the mayor

(2) The community representative body is composed of deputies to the community representative body. Elections of deputies to community representative bodies are held by secret ballot, on the basis of a general, equal, and direct right to vote.

(3) The mayor is elected by citizens of the community by secret ballot, on the basis of a general, equal, and direct right to vote. The mayor of a community constitutes the community's executive body. He executes community administration and represents the community outwardly.

Article 70

The prerequisites for a community to be declared a town, and the method of doing so, will be defined by law, which will also designate the names of town bodies.

Article 71

(1) The execution of designated tasks of local state administration can be transferred by law to the community. The cost of the execution of state administration transferred in this manner will be covered by the state.

(2) In executing state administration, the community may, on the basis of the law, issue decrees that are generally binding within its area of jurisdiction, if empowered to do so by the law. The execution of state administration transferred to the community is steered by law and controlled by the Government. Details will be specified in a law.