Involving the citizens in the decision making processes on local level is closely connected with the decentralization.
Successful decentralization demands high level of participation of the local community in these processes. Local
authorities oriented towards effective communication with the citizens are in a position to better serve the needs of
the citizens and focus on “real” priorities thus effectively utilizing municipal budgets. This is why the communication
between the local authorities and the citizens must be practiced trough institutional mechanisms which can be
changed and improved. For the citizens it is an opportunity to get involved and influence issues which directly
impact their everyday life, and for the authorities, opportunity for building support for their ideas and gaining new
innovative ways of problem solving.