The host of the meeting was Mayor Tadeusz Krzakowski, who serves as chair of the Audit Committee of the Association of Polish Cities. He familiarized his fellow local-government officials with Legnica’s economy, investments, budget, demographics and achievements.
The meeting was attended by mayors and other representatives of 16 Polish cities. Before the session, they toured Legnica. They visited the Piast Castle, the Evangelical Church of the Virgin Mary, the Scholz tenement house, the Market Square and the Knight Academy. For many of them, Legnica’s historic monuments and rich history were a real discovery.
The Board discussed and issued opinions on, among other things, draft amendments to the so-called waste-management act; amendments to the Act on Municipal Self-Government; legislation concerning personal income tax and the safety of mass events; as well as legislation on bonds, VAT, freedom of economic activity, the Large Family Card, exemptions from property tax and local fees, and changes to corporate income tax. The local-government officials expressed their opinions from the perspective of the needs of municipalities and local communities, which often do not coincide with government proposals.
The Association of Polish Cities, a local-government organization, has very rich traditions and experience dating back to the interwar period. It currently brings together 303 member cities, whose residents account for more than 73 percent of the urban population of our country. Its most important tasks involve having a practical and real influence on legislative processes and the quality of legal acts enacted in the country, particularly those concerning the structure of local government and the functioning of municipalities; jointly promoting the cities’ economies and culture; pursuing a common policy toward government administration bodies; information policy; and exchanging experience among the various municipal services and entities operating in cities.
UM Legnica/ii