Local Residents Tired of Policy Inconsistency in Local Governance

About a year has passed since the fourth local elections took place.

Whenever an elected local official changed, the policies of the locality changed together. This inconsistency is still manifesting itself in many localities. When the policies and projects undergo inconsistency, the local government and its residents are highly likely to pay a huge price for it. Budget money may be wasted, and residents may suffer from uncomfortable realities.

Political Rivalry Kills Consistent Policy Implementation -

A Guri City case illustrates the harm. The city has been dithering over what name to give to a street. A city official confessed, “Two political rivals took turns in winning the mayoral race. They consider each other as archrivals. That’s why one would go against whatever was determined by the other.”

One can find numerous similar cases across the nation.

For example, third elected Daejeon Mayor Yeom Hong-cheol (2002-2006) promised to implement a welfare program for the elderly and children from the poor families.

Under the program, the municipal government would entice sponsorships from local enterprises for them. It was a success, and even a Japanese local government sent its delegation to Daejeon to learn about the program.

When former Mayor Yeom’s rival took office last year, no budget money was allocated and the department in charge of this program was disbanded.

Well-intended, But Unrealistic Program Hampers Consistency -

But program elimination is not always borne out of rivalry. Some local policies and programs were established without much consideration of practical factors.

The Gokseong county government head in S. Jeolla Province recently scrapped a plan to build a town for the elderly citizens.

According to the plan, the local government was to construct a huge 24,000㎡ commercial complex to house the elderly citizens. It would have cost more than 50 million dollars.

No company or entity in the private sector, however, would invest in the project. The project was designed to yield almost no profits. The government has coughed up almost 550,000 dollars in the course of the project preparations, which started in 2005.

Other localities like Ulsan and Inje County also wasted taxpayers’ money while pursuing unrealistic plans without any outcome.

Solution Lies in Doctrine of Checks and Balances -

When a person takes the Cheongju exit, she/he will encounter a wonderful tunnel created by plane trees, which leads to the downtown area.

The city government launched a project to widen the road eight years ago. However, it has not been completed yet. Mayor after mayor tailored the original plan to his taste.

The project has cost the municipal government 640,000 dollars so far just to conduct preliminary researches. The incumbent mayor stopped the project, and its residents worry about it.

Korea University Public Administration professor Choi Bong-seok explained, “Various factors have caused the failures. Sometimes, a local head acted irrationally. Other times, the policy or program itself was conceived without much preparation. Local legislative bodies and residents should roll up their sleeves. They should check the administrative body and its inconsistent administration.”