Polish local authorities call for reforms to new municipal finance law

On 24 June, a joint Commission of the Polish government and local self‑government met to discuss the evaluation of the new law on revenues of local government units (JST) that took effect on 1 October 2024. The meeting, intended to feature a debate on the law’s impact, failed to do so because the Ministry of Finance delivered a 70‑plus‑page assessment only during the session, leaving officials no time to review the material.

Local leaders, including Mieczysław Kieca, president of Wodzisław Śląski and co‑chair of the Commission, and Krzysztof Kosiński, president of Ciechanów, said the legislation needs urgent corrections. They highlighted deficiencies in funding for education, administration tasks, climate‑related needs, social assistance and other municipal responsibilities. While the finance ministry claims the reform will raise municipal revenues by about 53 billion PLN in 2025‑2026, officials note that gains are uneven, with some units losing up to 25 % year‑on‑year. The local side is seeking a data‑driven dialogue and a meeting with Finance Minister Andrzej Domański to address these issues.