Recruitment of candidates for neighborhood councilors begins

Do you have an idea for how to change your immediate surroundings? Do you want to have a real impact on the life of your neighborhood? Do you enjoy being active among and for the people? If so, submit your candidacy for Neighborhood Councilor. The elections are in September.

In 2025, we will once again elect the members of Szczecin's 37 neighborhood councils. Anyone eligible to vote for a given council can run for office. In other words, anyone living in a given neighborhood can run for councilor.

"We are beginning the process of recruiting candidates for Neighborhood Councils, and I would like to appeal to all residents, community activists, and people who want to make a difference in their neighborhoods to run in these elections," says Deputy Mayor of Szczecin Łukasz Kadłubowski. "I've worked through all levels of local government and know how important it is to work at all levels. I also know that Neighborhood Councils are very much needed. Therefore, I strongly encourage all those who want to work for their neighborhoods to actively participate in this activity."

The candidate application must include the following information: name, address, PESEL number, and contact information: phone number and email address. The application form must be accompanied by a list of supporters for the candidate, containing the signatures of at least 20 residents listed in the Central Voter Register, residing in the city and eligible to vote. All templates for the required documents are available in the Public Information Bulletin of the Szczecin City Hall under the "Election to Neighborhood Councils" tab and on the Wiadomości Szczecin website: https://wiadomosci.szczecin.eu.

"These will be the first elections to Neighborhood Councils after the bylaws were changed," says Jakub Baranowski, head of the City Hall's Office of Social Participation. "It's worth remembering that, according to the new rules, if in a given neighborhood the number of candidates is smaller than the number of seats, elections will not be held, and therefore the Council will not be established. Therefore, this first stage—nominating candidates—is just as important as the subsequent voting itself."

Applications for candidates for new Neighborhood Councilors will be accepted at City Hall until September 7th of this year. Documents can be submitted to both the City Council Office and the City Hall's Social Participation Office.

"It's worth asking yourself: do I want to influence what happens in my immediate neighborhood? If the answer is yes, then the Neighborhood Council elections are upon us, and this is a chance to run and have a real impact on how my neighborhood develops," encourages Urszula Pańka, chairwoman of the Municipal Electoral Commission. "Neighborhood Councils aren't about politics, they're about effective action."

According to the schedule adopted by the Szczecin City Council, this year's elections to the Neighborhood Councils will be held on September 28.

The primary role of the Residential Area Committee (RO) is to collaborate with the estate's residents and represent their interests before the City Council and the Mayor. Their responsibilities include initiating and supporting initiatives aimed at improving the quality of life in the estate, submitting proposals to city authorities on matters of importance to residents, such as infrastructure, transportation, and investments, and providing opinions on the draft City Budget and resolutions concerning the estate.

This year's elections will be conducted in accordance with the new rules set out in the statutes of the Neighborhood Councils adopted a few weeks ago.

The most important provisions of the new Statutes of Szczecin City Neighborhood Councils include: shortening the term of office of the Neighborhood Council from five to four years; introducing a minimum turnout threshold – elections will be valid, and the Council will only function if at least 5% of those eligible to vote for a given Council participate. Defining situations that result in the expiration of a mandate, including failure to take the oath of office within three months of appointment or unjustified failure to perform the mandate by a Councilor within six months. Introducing new rules for organizing the Council's work, including the frequency of meetings (no less than once every two months, excluding vacations) and procedures for conducting them. Clarifying the rules for conducting elections – elections will only be held if the number of nominated candidates is equal to or greater than the number of seats available to the Council. If the number of nominated candidates is fewer than the number of seats, elections to that Council will not be held. In such a case, further elections may be called by the City Council after 12 months and at the request of Neighborhood residents. Other provisions include clarification of voting rules - a voter may vote for no more than 1/3 of the statutory composition of the Council (5 in 15-person Councils and 7 in 21-person Councils), as well as enabling the Council to cooperate with non-governmental organisations in the implementation of statutory tasks.

The first meeting of the newly elected Szczecin Neighborhood Councils will be held by October 29, 2025. (K)