local self-government, municipality, ward, warden, elder, local community
Abstract
The paper analyzes the trends of wards organization and the development of their activity in the Republic of Lithuania. It highlights the status of ward in the system of local self-government, defines the peculiarities of its regulation and problems of its organization and activity, as well as describes relations between wards and local community too. The article justifies the tends of development of wards functions, the necessity of increase of their financial independence and states that changes of warden’s status are concerned with procedures of his/her appointment and dismissal, powers, subordination and accountability. The authors emphasize that it would be purposeful to pass the law that would regulate procedures of local communities’ organization and activity as well as legitimize local communities as communities of wards.
