Local Government Autonomy And Service Delivery In Unitary Systems: Experience From Medway Council, Kent, Uk
Azu, Victoria N.
Faculty of Social Sciences (Dept. of Political and Administrative Studies), University of Port Harcourt, Port Harcourt, Nigeria
Keywords: Local Autonomy, Service Delivery, Unitary system
Abstract
This study investigated the autonomy status of local governments in unitary states, vis-à-vis their performance, using the Medway Council, UK as a reference point. The study was necessitated by the expectation that local governments in decentralised systems should enjoy greater autonomy than those in centralised systems. The study drew from the theory of local autonomy as propounded by Clark (1984) premised on ‘immunity’ and ‘initiative’ principles of power. Data was gathered from secondary sources, especially the empirical evidence derived from Medway council several press releases on currently available services and funds at her disposal. Findings showed that despite the fact that it exists in a centralised unitary system, Medway council enjoys adequate autonomy, including the power to approve the council budget, as well as discretion required to perform the numerous functions within its jurisdiction. It is interesting to discover that local council services are equally available for every resident irrespective of your home country, including the Ukrainian refugees. Despite its decentralized status, what happens in Nigeria is a far cry from the situation in UK. The study therefore concludes that the key determinant of local government autonomy and performance is the recognition given to local councils in the development process, and not the system of government or the constitutional statement on them. The study recommends value re-orientation on the reason for establishing local government, the UK council management system should be adopted in decentralised systems like Nigeria: local government funds should be directly sent to them, while states set up active regulatory and monitory system on the use of council funds, among others.