In one of our most recent meeting with our youth group, with whom we have begun a journey into understanding and monitoring the public finances of the Municipality of Lezha, we focused on analyzing expenditures versus revenues for the years 2020-2024.
We learned how to read the numbers in the official municipal budget documents, including truncations for technical reasons and the scaling factor. We discussed in youth-friendly language the municipality’s income from local and central taxes and fees collected from consumers. For example, in the first 7 months of 2024, around 67% of the planned expenditures were realized (approximately 674 million ALL).
We also discussed the percentage of municipal personnel costs (around 42% in 2022-2023), which is considerably high and leaves less room for developmental project investments. This standard is higher compared to many developed EU countries, such as Denmark, Finland, Germany, and Switzerland, where small and medium-sized municipalities operate with 300-500 employees.
Additionally, we examined the budget focus on specific items related to community and youth development, observing that the Municipality of Lezha remains primarily focused on infrastructure projects. While educational building renovations are mentioned, the broader youth needs are not adequately addressed through social programs or capacity-building efforts, instead focusing on physical or operational infrastructure.
Finally, we discussed the role of the Local Youth Council, emphasizing the need for their engagement to be more meaningful in municipal budgeting matters. A truly open and transparent process for financial allocations would ensure that the needs of the youth and the broader community are reflected in municipal decision-making.
