Bulgarian Local Authorities

Thanks to Emilia Drumeva

The City of Sofia is a specific administrative and territorial unit in which the self-government of its inhabitants is combined with the implementation of state policy on the development of the capital city. Law determines its division and structure. The City of Sofia is comprised of twenty four city district administrative structures and has the status of a region.

The Administrative Division Act of the Republic of Bulgaria provides for city districts and mayoralties as municipal subdivisions. City districts are set up within municipalities of more than three hundred thousand inhabitants and in cities of over one hundred thousand inhabitants.

The municipal administration consists of divisions, directorates, et cetera. Its responsibilities include the drafting of acts subject to approval by the municipal council or the mayor, providing expert and other support to local authorities, issuing individual administrative acts and analyzing specific social areas on the initiative and proposal of voters. The administration also performs activities assigned to it by the council and provides technical and administrative support. The rules of organization and procedure of municipal and regional administrations envisage officers and units that report to the mayor and the deputy mayor, notably: (1) a mayor and deputy mayors, (2) a secretary, (3) a chief architect, (4) a technical department, (5) directorates, (6) servicing departments, (7) offices.

The structure of the municipal administration is based on functional areas: property and finance; investments, public works and infrastructure; transport; regional development; housing policy and construction; health care and social welfare; environmental protection, natural resources and agrarian reform; public order, public protection and administrative services. A directorate that reports directly to the mayor or the deputy mayor covers each area. Figure 4.1 indicates the line of command in the municipal administration.

The lower levels of administration are specialized bodies of the municipal council and constitute an important part of the local administration structure. They are organized in offices, departments, divisions, bureaus, et cetera and are headed by bodies of special competence. The specialized bodies perform activities directly defined by law in the areas of health care, economy, culture, education, social affairs, taxation, et cetera.

The regional administration has similar divisions, the most important of which are: property, finance, investment, public works, transport; environmental protection, public order, public protection, maintenance of mobilization preparedness, et cetera.