Local self-government in the Russian Federation is a form of exercise by citizens of their right to govern the country guaranteed by the Constitution and the state . This form ensures the adoption and implementation by people of decisions related to the management of a particular municipal entity in the interests of the population living here.
The main sources governing local self-government in the Russian Federation should include, in addition to the main law of the state, the European Charter on the basics of organizing these authorities, as well as the federal law governing local authorities.
It is in the Constitution that the basic guarantees of local self-government in Russia are fixed. These include, first of all, the legal recognition of local authorities as independent and not directly related to government bodies. In addition to legal, there are financial guarantees for the exercise of local authority, which include the right to own, dispose and use municipal property, including for the purpose of deriving income from it. In addition, the heads of municipalities have the right to take part of taxes (for example, land) into the local treasury to carry out their activities.
Local self-government in the Russian Federation is carried out both directly through a referendum on certain issues, and through representatives who are elected in the manner determined by federal law.
The basis of local authorities in our country is a municipality. It may include a rural or urban settlement, district, district or intracity territory with special federal status. Any municipal entity should have a certain economic and financial independence, its powers should be strictly delimited not only with neighboring entities, but also with regional and federal authorities.
The modern model of local self-government in Russia is characterized by the search for the most optimal means and methods of managing certain territories. At the same time, the development of this level of state power as a whole proceeds within the framework of global trends that determine the four main components in the activities of local authorities.
Firstly, any government, including local one, must act in strict accordance with the law. Moreover, the actions of the central government in relation to municipalities should not go beyond the framework of regulatory legal acts .
Secondly, the normal functioning of local government is impossible without the right to dispose of material and economic resources. Lack of independence or lack of resources usually leads to a decrease in managerial discipline among local leaders, to the fact that they begin to focus on regional authorities, and not on the needs of the local population.
Thirdly, the power in the municipality must necessarily be of an elective nature, so that any leader feels responsibility specifically to his constituents.
Finally, fourthly, local self-government in the Russian Federation should be organized taking into account the historical and cultural traditions that exist in this region.