Government Should Provide Incentives for Local Government Integration

A bill has been proposed that would support and provide incentives when two or more local governments pursue integration based on the autonomous will of local government heads, local assemblies, or residents.

Lee Beom-rae (Grand National Party, Guro District A, Seoul), a member of the National Assembly's Administrative Safety Committee, proposed a "Special Act for Supporting Autonomous Integration of Local Governments" on the 11th, which specifies procedures, methods, and scope of support for autonomous integration among local governments.

● Expanding integration targets to 'two or more local governments'

Under the bill, the scope of special provisions for integration has been expanded beyond the existing framework to enable active autonomous integration among local governments. This now includes integration between two or more cities, a city and a county, county to county, autonomous district to autonomous district, and autonomous district to county combinations.

Additionally, the heads of local governments, local assemblies, or residents totaling 1/20 or more (or 1/30 or more) of those aged 19 and over can now recommend local government integration to the Minister of the Interior and Safety.

Through this process, confirmation of residents' will via local assembly resolutions or referendums, preparation of integration promotion plans by integration promotion committees, and other procedures, methods, and relevant institutions have been specified to enable the launch of integrated local governments.

Accordingly, when the Minister of the Interior and Safety receives an integration recommendation and deems it necessary, the minister can determine the areas where a referendum will be held and request local government heads to conduct a referendum.

After the referendum concludes, an integration promotion committee will be established to deliberate on details regarding integration, such as the name of the integrated local government and the location of its administrative offices. For integrated local governments with a population of one million or more, two vice mayors will be appointed.

● Special support provisions and recognition

Heads of central administrative agencies and provincial governors will be able to provide special financial support such as subsidies and fiscal loans and investments. Additionally, provisions allow for priority designation of development districts or areas and preferential support for policy projects.
When integration is pursued, the state can support costs directly used for integration within the budget scope.

Special budget support provisions were specified, allowing a portion of national budget savings from local government integration to be provided to the integrated local government for a certain period.

Furthermore, measures ensure that no disadvantages occur, such as loss of administrative or financial benefits to former local governments or specific areas, or additional burdens being imposed due to integration. Civil servants belonging to the former cities, counties, and districts being integrated will be treated equally in personnel matters.

● "Will likely be discussed with administrative system restructuring, but passage is uncertain..."

According to Rep. Lee Beom-rae's office, the current "Act on Administrative Special Provisions for the Establishment of Cities of Rural-Urban Complex Type" limits its application to cities and counties only. Therefore, there is a need to expand the scope of special provisions to enable autonomous integration among local governments.

Additionally, by providing incentives to integrated local governments, integration is expected to be actively pursued not only between cities and counties, but also among nearby cities, between cities and counties, among counties, and among autonomous districts.

A spokesperson for Rep. Lee Beom-rae's office stated, "This is intended to lay the foundation for the local administrative system restructuring currently being discussed," adding, "We are currently analyzing financial factors such as special support for integrated local governments."

The bill will be submitted to the National Assembly's extraordinary session on the 6th, with full-scale discussions expected to begin in standing committee assignments and other processes.

In relation to this, a Suwon city official remarked, "The expansion of integration targets is expected to make discussions on integration among local governments proceed more smoothly," and added, "It is also expected to be pursued in conjunction with the restructuring of local administrative systems," suggesting it could positively affect the promotion of local government integration.

However, the official cautioned, "Since discussions on administrative system restructuring are ongoing and the situation has not yet become concrete, it is difficult to predict at this moment whether the special act will pass."