Slovakia 1992 Constitution (reviewed 2017)

CHAPTER FOUR. Territorial Self-Administration

Article 64

A municipality is the basic element of territorial self-administration. Territorial self-administration comprises a municipality and superior territorial unit.

Article 64a

A municipality and superior territorial unit are independent territorial and administrative units of the Slovak Republic comprising persons who are permanently resident on its territory. Details shall be laid down by law.

Article 65

1. A municipality and superior territorial unit are legal persons that, under conditions laid down by law, independently manage own property and financial resources.
2. A municipality and superior territorial unit finance their needs primarily from their own revenues, as well as from state subsidies. The law shall lay down which taxes and fees are municipalities’ revenue and which taxes and fees are revenue of superior territorial unit. State subsidies may be claimed only within the limits of the law.

Article 66

1. A municipality has the right to associate with other municipalities in order to provide for the matters of common interest; a superior territorial unit has the same right to associate with other superior territorial units. Conditions shall be laid down by law.
2. Uniting, splitting, or dissolution of a municipality will be regulated by law.

Article 67

1. The territorial self-administration is performed at meetings of municipality residents, by a local referendum, by a referendum on the territory of a superior territorial unit, by the municipality bodies or the bodies of a superior territorial unit. The manner of execution of the local referendum and the referendum on the territory of a superior territorial unit shall be laid down by law.
2. Duties and restrictions relating to execution of the territorial self-administration may be imposed upon a municipality and superior territorial unit by law and on the basis of an international treaty pursuant to Article 7, paragraph 5.
3. The state may intervene in activities of a municipality and a superior territorial unit only in a manner laid down by law.

Article 68

A municipality and a superior territorial unit may issue generally binding ordinances in the matters of local self-administration and in order to provide for the tasks ensuing for the self-administration from the law.

Article 69

1. Municipality bodies are
   1. the municipal council,
   2. the mayor of a municipality.
2. The municipal council is composed of the municipal council deputies. The deputies are elected for a four-year term by citizens of the municipality with permanent residence on its territory. Elections of deputies are held by secret ballot, on the basis of a general, equal, and direct right to vote.
3. The mayor of a municipality is elected for a four-year term by citizens of the municipality with permanent residence on its territory by secret ballot, on the basis of a general, equal, and direct right to vote. The mayor of a municipality constitutes the municipality’s executive body. He executes municipality administration and represents the municipality outwardly. The reasons and manner of mayor’s removal prior to expiry of the term shall be laid down by law.
4. Territorial self-administration bodies are
   1. council of the territorial self-administration unit,
   2. chairman of the territorial self-administration unit,
5. The territorial self-administration council is composed of deputies to the territorial self-administration council. The deputies are elected for a four-year term by citizens the territorial self-administration unit with permanent residence on its territory. Elections of deputies are held by secret ballot, on the basis of a general, equal, and direct right to vote.
6. The chairman of the territorial self-administration unit is elected for a four-year term by citizens of the municipality with permanent residence on its territory by secret ballot, on the basis of a general, equal, and direct right to vote. The reasons and manner of chairman’s removal prior to expiry of the term shall be laid down by law. The chairman the territorial self-administration unit constitutes the municipality’s executive body. He executes municipality administration and represents the municipality outwardly.

Article 70

The prerequisites for a municipality to be declared a town, and the method of doing so, shall be laid down by law, which will also designate the names of town bodies.

Article 71

1. The execution of designated tasks of local state administration can be transferred by law to the municipality and superior territorial unit. The cost of the execution of state administration transferred in this manner will be covered by the state.
2. In executing state administration, the municipality and superior territorial unit may, on the basis of the law and within its limits, issue ordinances that are generally binding within its area of jurisdiction, if empowered to do so by the law. The execution of state administration transferred to the municipality, or superior territorial unit by law is governed and controlled by the Government. Details shall be laid down by law.