Municipal finance is a cornerstone of successful decentralization in government. In light of ongoing discussions over proposed new legislation and the municipal elections this month, EXECUTIVE talked to attorney Ziyad Baroud about the state of municipal finance and municipal reform proposals. Baroud, who teaches municipal law at St. Joseph University and is a consultant with the UNDP, is also an activist for municipal reform and development. How important is the finance issue to Lebanon’s municipalities? The law of 1977 gave the municipalities wide jurisdiction in governing their local affairs. If the municipalities do not have the money needed to implement projects, which are their prerogatives under the law, they cannot fulfill their mandates. What difficulties hamper the financial aspect of municipal governance? The problems begin with size. Small municipalities do not have enough resources. Another problem is that some of the funding that is in principle due the municipalities via
