THE FUNCTIONALITY OF LOCAL AUTONOMY IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION: PERCEPTIONS FROM INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE CITY HALL

Abstract

This micro-research aims to analyze the degree of autonomy identified at the level of local public administration by comparative investigation of perceptions from within – the human resources in the city hall, but also from outside – the local population, with particularization at the level of the Cornu Luncii commune in Suceava County. The study revealed a systemic disconnect between the opinions of the city hall staff and those of the citizens, marked by discrepancies regarding the level of autonomy, institutional trust, administrative transparency and citizen satisfaction. The interpretation of the research results revealed a paradox of autonomy: citizens attribute to the City Hall a great decision-making power and financial resources that the institution declares it does not have, thus generating unrealistic expectations and pressure on the staff. Although the human resources are considered competent, this expertise does not translate into satisfaction for the residents, who remain skeptical and feel alienated from the decision-making process. In addition, the correlation analysis confirmed the existence of positive and statistically significant direct relations between the level of local autonomy and the degree of trust in the institution's capacity to solve community problems, between the level of administrative transparency and the degree of need for expanding decision-making autonomy at the local level, as well as between the level of financial autonomy and the level of satisfaction with the quality of life in the locality. Overall, the research showed that although decision-making and financial autonomy are crucial for the quality of life, its success depends on increasing transparency to transform administrative expertise into public trust.