Unified rules for organizing public hearings were discussed at the ZSNO.

      August 26, 2025 15:25

      [314]

      Society

      On August 25, a meeting of the committee of the Legislative Assembly of the Nizhny Novgorod Region on state authority of the region, local self-government and regulations was held. Deputies discussed a draft regional law that establishes a unified procedure for convening and conducting public hearings in all municipalities of the region.

      As noted at the meeting, public hearings are a crucial tool that allows residents to participate directly in resolving local issues. In the deputies' view, the bill is intended to make this mechanism clearer, more understandable and accessible to every citizen. It was developed to implement new federal legislation and is aimed at creating a transparent system of interaction between authorities and the public.

      During the discussion, deputies considered the key aspects of the forthcoming law. In particular, the document defines the list of issues that must be submitted to public discussion. These include the draft municipal charter and amendments to it, the draft local budget and the report on its execution, as well as issues related to the reorganization of a municipal formation. The conduct of hearings on urban planning matters, such as draft master plans or land use and development rules, is regulated separately.

      “We are enshrining at the regional level a simple and clear mechanism that allows people locally not just to be listeners, but to become active co-authors of the decisions that determine the development of their courtyard, street, city or district,” said Legislative Assembly Chairman Evgeny Lyulin.

      Special attention at the meeting was paid to residents' right to their own initiative. The bill provides that a group of citizens numbering at least 10 people may propose holding hearings. For this, it is necessary to collect at least 100 signatures in support of the idea. This mechanism allows active residents to directly influence the agenda and initiate discussion of the most pressing issues for their territory, the meeting participants emphasized.

      “One of the most important provisions is that the results of public hearings are advisory but must be considered. This means that residents' opinions should not merely be heard, but thoroughly analyzed by the representative body of the municipal formation, and a reasoned decision should be made on the basis of the results,” emphasized Vladimir Pakov, chairman of the Legislative Assembly committee on state authority of the region, local self-government and regulations.

      Following the discussion, members of the Legislative Assembly committee on state authority decided to recommend that the draft law be considered at the next session of the regional parliament.

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