Every Monday, from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m., the next two councillors of the Municipal Council hold office hours at the City Hall. Voters therefore have an opportunity to meet them directly, exchange views and assessments, submit criticism, complaints and grievances, or put forward proposals aimed at improving the work of the local government or officials. Many people take advantage of this opportunity; others submit more general proposals that become the basis for later interpellations or even broader programmes of action in line with the city’s needs.
Let us use an example taken from the office hours of councillors ZDZISŁAW ABRAMOWICZ and PAWEŁ ŚLIWKO. A resident of Bolesławiec, Ms GENOWEFA ROMANOWSKA (45/2 Broniewskiego Street), proposed a discussion on a regional tourism development programme. In her opinion, there is a lack of coordination and an action plan in this area; the city and its surroundings are not promoted through popular tourist guides and occasional publications; no one has undertaken a full inventory or made it possible for groups or individuals to visit architectural and other monuments, even though the Bolesławiec Land is famous for the beauty of its surrounding forests and unique geological and other sites. The accommodation facilities are poorly developed, and restaurants do not always cater to those seeking an inexpensive meal. Young people often choose expensive trips to Paris or Vienna, forgetting about the charms of their native land or even their immediate surroundings... It is difficult to deny that many of the speaker’s arguments are valid. Not everything can be explained or justified by a lack of money. We await the opinions of other professional experts on the subject. What do schools and teachers think about this? Only Bolesławiec’s “Piątka” school still remains faithful to its love of tourism... Or are we mistaken? We await opinions, comments, facts and proposals. It is time to address the issue in a broader forum: today, tourism is an important source of prosperity for local communities.