Implications For Local Authorities Research Articles

Local Taxes in the Jurisprudence of Local Government Bodies

This article explores the role of local taxes within the jurisdiction of the local government bodies. It first highlights the significance of local taxes and their two-fold expression of territorial and material sovereignty. The authors delve into the concept of local taxes, its legal definitions, and the scope of taxes that local government units have authority over. The paper discusses the functions of local taxes. Furthermore, it emphasizes the importance of proper income division between the state and local governments to ensure effective decentralization of administration and public finances. The article explores the entities responsible for administering local taxes and their roles in establishing tax liabilities, granting reliefs and collecting revenues. It outlines the decisions made by local authorities regarding taxes, distinguishing between declaratory and constitutive decisions based on how tax liabilities are incurred. It then delves into the impact of tax relief on local government budgets, discussing the criteria used to grant such relief and how it relates to the economic circumstances of taxpayers. The text also addresses relief measures introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic and their implications for local authorities. Lastly, the paper discusses the roles of local government bodies as creditors in enforcement proceedings, particularly in cases where tax liabilities need to be enforced. It outlines the conditions under which local authorities act as enforcement bodies.

Baseline Soil Dioxin Levels from Sites Where Municipal Solid Waste Incineration Construction Is Planned throughout China: Characteristics, Sources and Risk Assessment

The determination of baseline dioxins levels in soils is fundamental for the quantitative assessment of the net environmental and health impacts of municipal solid waste (MSW) incineration plants, which remains unexplored. Therefore, this study develops a Chinese baseline soil dioxins database (covering 918 soil samples from 292 pre-construction MSW incineration plants nationwide during 2016–2020) to thoroughly explore the baseline contamination characteristics and health risks of dioxins in soils. The empirical results show that (1) for concentration levels, the baseline international toxic equivalency (I-TEQ) concentrations vary from 0.0015 to 32 ng I-TEQ/kg, which are close to or even lower than those in most existing studies and show significant heterogeneity across provinces; (2) for dioxins homolog, highly chlorinated dioxins (i.e., PCDDs) are the dominant contributor to the total dioxins in soils (contributing 54.30% of the total I-TEQ concentrations), implying that dioxins in baseline soils often have an atmospheric fingerprint; and (3) for health risks, the carcinogenic risk and non-carcinogenic risk of dioxins in soils are mostly below acceptable levels, close to or even lower than the results of previous studies. Despite these results being considered as quite preliminary, they have certain implications for local authorities. Future studies can expand the size of the database and the generalizability of the results, and if necessary, establish a long-term dynamic monitoring of dioxins in soils for systematically evaluating the net impact of MSW incineration on environment and human health.

Mazovia brand awareness among corporate customers: implications for local authorities

PurposeThe aim of the study was to determine the region brand’s strength by measuring the awareness of the regional brand elements, associations and the perception of the region’s promotional activity in the corporate customers’ group.Design/methodology/approachTo obtain the necessary data, this study conducted computer-assisted web interviewing on a sample of 151 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) registered in the Mazowieckie Voivodeship and engaged in furniture production and food and beverage production. Statistical data analysis included Pearson and Spearman’s rank correlation and chi-square tests.FindingsThe survey showed a high number of brand associations with the region of Mazovia, but the level of brand recognition was low. The awareness of the region’s logo among SMEs shows the strongest correlation with the belief that promotional activities increased the scope of company operations. Moreover, this evidences the perceived utility of the brand among those customers.Practical implicationsThe regional authorities should invest more in the frequency of promoting the region among certain strongly engaged user groups to increase their brand awareness level. Furthermore, local authorities should try establishing an umbrella brand that would cover several sub-brands promoting separate industries in the region.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study in Poland that focused on regional branding effects among entrepreneurs and using a quantitative method. The relationship between the studied entrepreneurs’ willingness to use the Mazovia brand and their range of operations indicates that some enterprises already enjoy greater trust thanks to the brand, which increases their loyalty toward the region.

Grasping the nettle: the central–local constraints on local government funding in England

ABSTRACT In England, the traditional method of central government redistribution and equalization between locations has been replaced with a greater emphasis on self-sufficiency and entrepreneurism. English local government now faces existential funding questions – a situation that is repeated around the world as the public sector manages the fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic. Financialization has figured large in the study of entrepreneurial behaviour. However, in England, legal and procedural constraints have driven authorities to seek revenue funding from other sources, principally seeking additional property-related revenues. In response, this article presents a novel typology of local government funding sources and offers an original analysis of their implications for local authorities’ role. The empirical findings show that the buoyancy and quantum of many funding sources are constrained by prior evolution of location and central–local relations: they are not automatic routes to financialization. Conceptually, these findings reveal that methods of financialization, and the local government funding system within which they typically sit, are as likely to be constrained by the evolution and techniques of governance as they are accelerated by it. International debates around financialization, and wider concerns of how locations develop, would benefit from this account of the often-hidden nature and agency of local government funding systems.

Applying design thinking to the decision-making process: a field study in Swedish local authorities

PurposeThis study aims to examine the application of design thinking to complex decision-making processes in local government and to link the design thinking to the theoretical work of leading thinkers in decision-making.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses multiple case studies, including non-participant observation, group discussions, semi-structured interviews, presentations and questionnaires.FindingsFor complex decisions, design thinking can contribute to more effective decision-making by expanding the range of solutions considered, people consulted and involved, sources of data/information and decision tools as well as in achieving buy-in to the eventual decision.Research limitations/implicationsThe principal limitations include that this is one study in one country and in the public sector. There were some practical problems with external factors disrupting two of the cases, but these do not affect the findings. The principal implication is that by adopting a design thinking approach to complex decision-making, the quality of decision-making and decisions can be significantly improved.Practical implicationsWhen it comes to complex decisions, organisations can improve the quality of both their decision-making processes and their decisions by adopting and implementing ideas and insights from design thinking.Social implicationsFor local authorities, a design approach can enhance the quality of the services provided by local authorities to citizens in particular in better meeting the needs of users and other stakeholders and in opening up better lines of communications between officials and citizens.Originality/valueThis research was based on an initiative in Swedish local government and its first implementation in practice. The authors are not aware of any similar study done elsewhere.

Perceptions of divorcees towards factors leading to divorce in UAE

ABSTRACT According to official reports, the divorce rate in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is very high. Such a high rate is attributed to many factors. This study investigates factors and causes leading to separation and divorce in Al Ain, UAE. The article uses a descriptive approach to analyze data collected from 114 participants, including 70 women and 44 men. Findings of the study indicated that family intervention is the main and most obvious factors causing divorces in the UAE, followed by the negligence of spouses. Surprisingly, age, educational level, and employment do not play a key role in divorce. Although the findings of the study cannot be generalized, this article highlights important implications for local authorities, educational institutions, and social activists in reducing the number of divorces in the UAE.

Post-disaster permanent housing: user participation and long-term satisfaction

There is empirical evidence on varying levels of user satisfaction with the provided post-disaster permanent housing based on their levels of participation. This study compares non-participating and participating users’ long-term satisfaction with permanent housing constructed under the REKOMPAK (a community-based reconstruction program) after the 2010 Merapi volcano eruption. The results show that both groups have recorded highly similar levels of satisfaction with their permanent housing attributes with only four (out of 38) attributes that are statistically significantly different between the groups. These findings provide suggestive evidence on the maturity of the REKOMPAK program since it was created in 2005. This has implications for local authorities, humanitarian and other agencies in their decisions to adapt the REKOMPAK or other similar community-based programs for post-disaster reconstruction.

Fostering unaccompanied asylum seeking young people: the views of foster carers on their training and support needs

The implementation of the National Transfer Scheme, whereby local authorities across the UK are encouraged to voluntarily receive unaccompanied young asylum seekers, has prompted a necessary focus on the training needs of those caring for this population. As agencies consider how to build their capacity to support unaccompanied young people, this study set out to learn from the experiences and views of foster carers, in order to inform the development of effective carer training and support. Eight semi-structured interviews were undertaken with foster carers who have cared for unaccompanied young people in one county in the South West of England. The findings draw attention not only to the potential benefits of training focused specifically on fostering unaccompanied young people, but also reveal aspects of the impact that limited access to training and support can have upon carers. The findings shed light on the carers’ experiences of encountering ‘unknown’ factors and allow new insight into the networks they had developed over time to enhance their ability to access information and support as new challenges arise. Possible implications for local authorities and fostering agencies are considered.

Mapping soil erosion in the Da Dang river basin, Lam Dong province

The Da Dang river basin, located in the Upper Part of Dong Nai River, plays a crucial role to protect water resources in the downstream parts. The purpose of this study is to assess and develop a soil erosion map in the Da Dang river basin by using the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) combined with remote sensing (RS) and Geographic Information System (GIS). The factors used in the RUSLE equation (R, K, LS, C, and P) were computed by using data obtained from local meteorological stations, topographic maps, soil surveys, and satellite images. The data on water quality (TSS) of 75 surface water samples was deployed at 15 monitoring sites in the river basin in the period of 2012 – 2016, provided by DONRE of Lam Dong. The results showed that 14.41% of the basin area is subjected to a high erosion rate with an extent of 10 tons/ha/year or more. Furthermore, the study also indicated that TSS concentration has a closely correlation with land use practices and the the spatial distribution of soil erosion. These findings are essential information and practical implications for local authorities in formulating provincial planning policy for land use and the management practices of soil and water protection in the Da Dang river basin, a sensitively mountainous area, in the context of climate change.

The role of family carers in the use of personal budgets by people with mental health problems.

Personal budgets aim to increase choice and independence for people with social care needs but they remain underused by people with mental health problems compared to other disability groups. The use of personal budgets may impact on families in a variety of ways, both positive and negative. This paper draws on interviews, undertaken in 2012-2013 with 18 family carers and 12 mental health service users, that explored experiences of family involvement in accessing and managing personal budgets for a person with mental health-related social care needs. The sample was drawn from three sites across England, with additional carers being recruited via voluntary sector networks. Our findings show that for many people with severe mental health needs who lack motivation and confidence to negotiate access to personal budgets, carers may provide the necessary support to enable them to benefit from this form of social care support. We illustrate the role carers may play in initiating, pursuing and maximising the level of support available through personal budgets. However, some carers interviewed considered that personal budget funding was reduced because of practitioners' assumptions about carers' willingness and ability to provide support. We also report perceived tensions between family carers and practitioners around appropriate involvement in decision-making. The study findings have implications for local authorities, practitioners and family carers in supporting the involvement of family carers in support for people with severe mental health problems.

‘The dying of the light’: the impact of the spending cuts, and cuts to employment law protections, on disability adjustments in British local authorities

Adjustments to working arrangements and the working environment have enabled organisations to recruit and retain valuable staff and helped disabled individuals to work and progress in their careers. The qualitative study reported in this paper indicates that generally good adjustments-related practice across 33 British local authorities was beginning to deteriorate under the impact of government spending cuts; and was at further risk from the dismantling of legal protections. The findings have implications for local authorities, but also for national policy-makers and those wishing to influence them.

Driving style extremes and potential vehicle emission effects

Chassis dynamometer driving cycles designed to quantify vehicle emissions often miss the extremes in driver behaviour. The vehicle emissions measured during these driving cycles are used for modelling and policy purposes. To better understand the impact of omitting such extremes, two drivers were asked to follow a set of behavioural rules to replicate ‘aggressive’ and ‘passive’ driving styles along a real-world route in Southampton, UK. The test route included a wide range of traffic conditions that could be expected on urban roads. The resulting driving profiles were compared to a number of legislative driving cycles – this indicated that aggressive driving was poorly addressed by these cycles. When replicated on a chassis dynamometer, the aggressive profile produced carbon monoxide, oxides of nitrogen and carbon dioxide emission rates of 2·68, 0·853 and 183·6 g/km, respectively, whereas the passive profile produced only 0·064, 0·011 and 124·4 g/km, respectively. Non-inclusion of aggressive driving styles in legislative driving cycles will mean that driving events that lead to disproportionately high emissions are not addressed by legislation designed to improve overall vehicle emissions control performance (e.g. Euro standards). In addition, a proportion of vehicle emissions will be missed from the modelling process which may have implications for local authorities declaring Air Quality Management Areas.

Looked After Children: Non‐local authority placements and meeting educational needs

Research consistently reports an educational disadvantage of being looked after. There is a lack of literature pertaining specifically to young people who are placed out of their local authority. The following research reports on an investigation of educational psychologists’ views on the educational implications of non‐local authority residential placements for 12 young people. The findings show that non‐local authority residential placements were usually precipitated by care crises and tended to have a negative impact on the extent to which educational needs were met. One non‐local authority residential placement which allowed continuation of the local authority educational placement had positive educational implications. Action implications for local authorities and educational psychology services are given regarding casework, working with other agencies, local commissioning of establishments and areas for further research.

Implications of the revision to the bathing water directive for local authorities in the Solent

This paper focuses on the revision to the Bathing Water Directive and its likely implications for local authorities in the United Kingdom. It outlines the proposal and its current status in European negotiation and the likely outcome. It then details the work the Solent Forum, in particular a subgroup that focuses on water quality, the Solent Water Quality Association, has done in relation to the proposed revision and their implications for coastal local authorities. Initially, this group considered what the implications for coastal local authorities might be through a national conference and has since concentrated on ensuring authorities at the local level are prepared for the enhanced responsibilities the changes will place on them. This has been achieved through individual project work related to ensuring beach management plans are in place for incidents of non-compliance, undertaking research at local beaches to understand the needs of the public vis-a-vis information, and hosting national events to share best practice.

Developments: The UK Landfill Tax: Financial Implications for Local Authorities

Local authorities in the UK are responsible for waste management. Since the introduction of the landfill tax in 1996, the costs of disposing of municipal solid waste in landfill has increased markedly. The money collected is being paid to central government, through Customs and Excise. Some remission of landfill tax money can be claimed by commercial organizations to develop sustainable waste management, but local authorities, which also have an important role in this, cannot do so. The authors explain why the hypothecation of landfill tax revenue would be helpful and why local authorities need additional funds to develop sustainable waste management projects.

Local authorities and climate protection in the European union: Putting subsidiarity into practice?

Although intrinsically a global environmental concern, the climate change issue has a number of implications for local authorities. Within the European Union (EU), the remit of local authorities in—‐for abatement policies—the crucial areas of energy and transport policy varies considerably, as does their commitment to environmental action more generally. This paper examines the role of local authorities in climate protection within a framework of global, EU and national action, through examples of local strategies from Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden and the UK. The paper finds positive instances of action in all countries, but points to unsympathetic policy frameworks both at national and EU level, such as budget constraints imposed on local authorities, the pursuit of low energy prices combined with a resistance to impose carbon taxes, a lack of energy efficiency standards and insufficient support for public transport.

Local Government, Contracts and Judicial Review

The purpose of this article is to examine briefly the role of judicial review in contracting and tendering decisions of local authorities. While there may be a possibility of seeking private law remedies based on estoppel where there has been detrimental reliance, negligent misrepresentation, or under s.38 of t h e i w Trading Act 1989 (Qld), there are a number of limitations on bringing such actions, particularly when dealing with government bodies. In addition, it is unlikely that Australian courts will find that a pre-award contract exists during the tendering process, so as to found an action in damages for breach of contract. Thus, a consideration of public law remedies as an alternative is appropriate, given that local authorities are government bodies operating under statutory powers and are, therefore, potentially amenable to judicial review. It is necessary to examine the possible difficulties that confront an applicant seeking judicial review of local authorities' contracting and tendering decisions. Recent pronouncements of the Federal Court indicate strongly that most contractual decisions made by federal statutory bodies are not amenable to judicial review and are to be considered by reference to the law of contract. The implications for local authorities, whose constituting enactments also empower them to enter into contracts, will be discussed in light of certain provisions in the Judicial Review Act 1991(Qld).

Social Care Markets in England: Early Postreform Experiences

Recent discussions of health and social care in the United Kingdom have been dominated by the 1990 National Health Service and Community Care Act. A core dimension of the act was to encourage greater mixing of the "economy of care," specifically, greater pluralism in provision, more systematic regulation of practice and assurance of quality, and (in the longer term) greater variety of funding sources. The result has been the development of social care markets. In this article, we describe the mixed economy reforms and early evidence regarding success. The main issues concern development of social care markets and the implications for local authorities of their new purchasing roles.

Developing a post-adoptive service for adoptive families

Abstract Adoption today is frequently used as a provision for older children, or children with special needs, who cannot live with their family of origin. Research indicates that adoptive families may need a wide range of services long after the adoption order has been granted. This ongoing support has resource implications for Local Authorities, and at present post adoption services are patchy and underdeveloped. We describe the various elements that make up a comprehensive post adoption service for adoptive families such as self-help networks, dissemination of information, counselling and therapeutic input, training programmes and practical help. Against a background of shortage of resources we raise questions about the future organisation of post adoption services.

Competitive tendering — the transition to contracting in Scottish local authorities∗

Abstract This article reviews the initial experience of Scottish local authorities in accommodating the significant and far‐reaching changes to service provision arising from the Local Government Act 1988. It considers some issues relevant to the changing environment and culture of local government, now operating in a regime of enforced tendering, and considers some relevant policy and practice implications for local authorities. It is not intended to be a definitive study but rather an attempt to analyse some key themes and issues related to management of the tendering process and of tendered services themselves. It is based on our discussions with various officers and members; we are grateful for their willing assistance.