Municipal Governance

Municipal governance or the local governance refers to the city, town or village level governance. For the purpose of development and growth of the local areas such as cities, villages, and towns, the municipal governance is formed. The elected members by the people and nominated members by government of state or nation are responsible for the municipal governance.

The municipal governance works directly in the interest of the public health, basic infrastructure, water supply and different issues related to the common public. The municipal governance is subdivided into the bodies, for different purposes and departments such as municipal corporation, municipality, notified area committee and many more.

Functions of Municipal Governance

The responsibilities and the function of municipal governance is to regulate the municipal area properly and develop them. The function of municipal governance is listed below. 

1. Municipal governance deals with providing drinking water at the homes, looking out for cleanliness, sport activity and other local area facilities.
2. Organising and planning of different schemes for development and progress of the city or the town area fall under municipal governance. 
3. Develop basic infrastructure like constructing roads, distribution of electricity etc.in order to municipal progress.
4. Management of municipal taxation, budget, and funding .
5. Control and distribution of  the natural resources to the people of local municipalities.

Parts of Municipal Governance

For the purpose of development and growth of the local areas such as cities, villages, towns etc. the municipal governance is formed. Municipal governance are the urban local bodies which regulate the population of a city or village under their boundary. The municipal governance is subdivided into the parts, for different purposes and departments. 

Municipal corporation

In the constitution, the act of the state legislature describes the municipal corporation. To regulate the large population towns, the municipal corporation is responsible. Municipal corporation is further divided into the three parts as listed below.

1. Council-Council is the combination of the elected and nominated members. Mayor is the head of the council of the municipal corporation. Council plans the schemes for the development of urban and towns of municipal corporations.
2. Standing Committee-Standing committee helps the council of the municipal corporation to handle the laws and enforce the schemes. These standing committees are different to work in different areas like education, cleanliness, health centres etc.
3. Municipal Commissioner- Municipal Commissioner works under the council and stands committed to a municipal corporation. Enforcement of laws and schemes at the ground level is the responsibility of a municipal commissioner.

Municipality

In the constitution, the act of the state legislature describes the municipality. To regulate the small population towns, the municipality is responsible. Like the municipal corporation, the municipality is further divided into the three parts as listed below.

1. Council-Chairperson is the head of the council of a municipality. The Chairperson conducts the meeting in the municipality corporation.
2. Standing Committee-Standing committee helps the council of the municipality corporation to handle the laws and enforce the schemes. These standing committees are different to work in different areas like education, cleanliness, health centres etc.
3. Chief Executive Officer-Chief Executive Officer works under the council and standing committed of a municipality. Enforcement of laws and schemes at the ground level on a regular basis is the responsibility of a Chief Executive Officer.

Notified area committee

Notified area committees regulate those areas which are high-rising areas but do not have the population to be announced as municipalities. The members of the notified area committee are nominated and not elected.

Town area committee

The town area committee is a half-municipal body, formed to regulate the small towns. In the constitution, the special act of the state legislature describes the town area committee. The power of this committee is finite, such as installing and cleaning of drainage systems, maintaining cleanliness, repairing roads etc. 

Cantonment board

The Cantonment board works under the ministry of defence. Cantonment board is also a combination of elected and nominated members. Cantonment board for the primary requirement of the people in a municipal area.

Port trust

Port trust is a combination of elected and nominated members. The main function of port trust is to regulate the ports and handle the traffic at the port areas.

Special purpose agency

Special purpose agencies are the statutory bodies which look out for the special case, which does not fall under the functions of municipal corporations.

Source of revenue of Municipal governance 

Collection of tax is the main source of revenue of municipal governance. The following are the sources of revenue of municipal governance.

• Collection of tax is the primary source of revenue generation by the municipal governance
• The property tax and water supply charge contributes the most in the revenue generation by the municipal governance
• In the area of municipal governance, the advertisement tax falls under the revenue of municipal governance
• Providing different trade licences and using the land and estate is another revenue source of municipal corporations

Challenges of Municipal Governance

The primary challenge of municipal governance is the undefined boundaries between the regions. This unclear vision of boundaries works as an obstacle in functioning of municipal governance. Financial insecurity, poverty, lack of resources, political pressure, lack of skills are other challenges of municipal governance.

Conclusion

Municipal governance or the local governance refers to the city or town level governance, which works in public interest. The main function of municipal governance is organising and planning of different schemes for the development and progress of city or the town areas which fall under the municipal governance.