AEDLLRG
Association of Executive Directors
of Latvian Local and Regional Governments (AEDLLRG)
Latvia is located at the Eastern coast of the Baltic Sea. In North it borders with Estonia, in South with Lithuania and East – Russia and Belarus. The territory of Latvia is 64,589 sq.km, at the beginning of 2009 the population of Latvia is about 2,2 miljons.
On the local level Latvia today have 52 towns and 7 major cities, including the capital of state Riga, 428 rural municipalities (pagasts) and 37 amalgamated municipalities (novads). The regional level includes 26 districts (rajons) with indirectly elected councils (chairmans of the local governments are members of district’s council) plus the 7 bigger cities, which represents both levels of governments.
A recent change of the Local Government Act prescribes that from the beginning of 2001 all local authorities with more than 5000 inhabitants must appoint an Executive Director and besides that the competencies of the Executive Director has been significantly increased. For the local governments with less number of inhabitants the Executive Director is an option or entrust to fulfil his/her duties to the chairman. In January 2009 179 Latvian local authorities have appointed Executive Directors – 81 pagasts, 31 novads, 35 towns, 7 cities and 25 district’s authorities had ED. The number of ED has a tendency to increase.
The rights and duties of executive directors include responsibility for the work of the municipal administration, establishments and enterprises as well as the fulfilment of obligation rules and the other normative acts; to give instructions to the heads of municipal establishments; to prepare the proposals of cancellation of illegal or unuseful decisions; to initiate the appointment or dismissal of the heads of the municipal establishments and enterprises, to hand in proposals about the establishment, reorganisation and liquidation of municipal institutions and enterprises, to run the municipal property and financial resources; ensure the elaboration of social and economic development plan, spatial plan and budget drafts; to execute other duties according to the authorities statutes and decisions.
Association of Executive Directors of Latvian Local and Regional Governments (AEDLLRG) was established on November 5, 1997 in order to consolidate and organise the executive directors for cooperation, exchange of experience and legal defence as well as to improve their qualification. It is voluntary union of professionals, which operates within the framework of Union of Local and Regional Governments of Latvia.
Executive directors and their deputies as well as heads of authorities, which fulfil the duties of executive directors can become the members of Association. The activities of Association are financed by payments from local and regional governments, in which members of Association work. The Association is run by chairman elected for 2 years and the Board , but daily work is accomplished by hired advisor. There are 299 members in the Association – 178 full members and 121 observers (retired and those who changed their work place).
Once a month the Association organises meetings for its members and colleagues with Members of the Parliament and ministers, state institution officials and private entrepreneurs, municipal experts. Once a quarter these meetings take place outside Riga in any Latvian region. The Association members actively operate in Union of Local and regional Governments commities and working groups as well as take part in official union and state government (ministries) negotations.
The Association has also co-operation with foreign colleagues. AEDLLRG participates in U.DI.T.E. – Union des Dirigeants Territoriaux de l’Europe where it has full member. According to the Agreement signed in June 1999 AEDLLRG has also co-operation with STMOU – the Association of Administrative Secretaries of Cities and Local municipalities of the Czech Republic, to the Agreement signed in June 2004 – with MJOSZ – the Hungarian Town-clerks National Association and to the Memorandum of Collaboration signed in March 2007 – with SOLACE Wales. Co-operation is initiated also with analogous organisations in Cyprus - CTCA, in Denmark – KDF, in Israel - IAM, in Luxembourgh – ASC, in Malta - ASKLM, in Norway - KS, in Portugal – ATAM, and in Slovakia – ACM SR. It is planned to look for partners also in other countries of Europe and rest of the world.
The AEDLLRG has an experience for implementation of some international projects, for example, “Strenghtening of the Role and Functions of Local Government Executive Directors in Latvia” (together with the Local Government Denmark), “Experience of Norwegian Local Governments – to Executive Directors of Latvian Local Governments” (together with the Norwegian Association of Local and Regional Authorities), “Traineeship of Executive Directors of Latvian Local Governments in the Local Authorities of Denmark and Norway” (together with the Local Government Denmark and the Norwegian Association of Local and Regional Authorities), “Traineeship of CEOs of Latvian and Portugal Local Governments in the Local Authorities of Latvia and Portugal” (together with the ATAM) and „Latvian Leadership Learning Programme” (together with the UDITE, Solace Wales and Public Service Management Wales).
The Chairman of Association – Mudite Priede (Jelgava District Council)
address: 37 Pasta street, Jelgava, LV-2160, Latvia, phone: (+371)63022233, mob: (+371)29197601, fax: (+371)63022235, e-mail: mudite@jrp.lv
The Deputy Chairman – Aris Vilskersts (Madona Town Council),
address: 1 Saieta square, Madona, LV-4801, Latvia, phone: (+371)64860069, mob: (+371)29430460, fax: (+371)64860079, e-mail: aris@madona.lv
Adviser – Bruno Otersons,
address: 1 Maza Pils street, Riga, LV-1050, Latvia, phone: (+371)67221102, mob: (+371)29197606, fax: (+371)67212241, e-mail: bruno@lps.lv
