PECULARITIES OF FORMING LEADERSHIP STAFF IN REGIONAL CAPITALS IN THE CONTEXT OF MUNICIPAL REFORMS

Abstract

The purpose of the study is identification of the direction and policy and management effects of changes in the procedure and process of forming the leadership staff of the administrative centers of the subjects of the Russian Federation. The object of the analysis is the procedure of empowerment the heads of the regional capitals of the Central Black Earth Region (CBER), as well as the executive authorities of the mentioned cities. The methodological basis of the study consists in neoinstitutional and comparative approaches. The author has done the analysis of the process of changing the heads of the city capitals of the CBER regions, studied their biographies, career paths and professional development. The results of the study. It is established that the changes in the procedure of empowerment the heads of the cities are connected with the institutional transformation of the local government in Russia. Along with the enactment local government legislation in 2003 (FL-131) in the administrative centres of three of the five regions of Central Black Earth Region (Belgorod, Kursk, Tambov) the management model, following which the head of the administration was hired by representative body after competitive selection of candidates was fixed. In Voronezh and Lipetsk they saved the system of direct election of the heads of the municipality by population. In 2014-2015 as a part of the “Malaya” municipal reform the subjects of the Russian Federation were enabled to determine how to empover the heads of the urban districts. At the same time, the "range" of options for electing the head of a municipal entity was expanded. After that, all the administrative centers of the Central Black Earth Region switched to options where the head of the city (or the head of the administration working under a contract) is vested with powers by deputies of the representative body. The corresponding procedure strengthens the political and administrative control of regional authorities over municipalities. At the same time, as a part of the new personnel policy of the federal center, the preparation of a personnel reserve of city leaders has begun. Together with the established practices of empowering the heads of regional capitals, this practice ensures the professionalization of the personnel corps of city leaders. Significant problems in the functioning of this structure are the frequent change of leadership of regional capitals, as well as the alienation of the population from the process of forming the executive power of cities.