Metropolia Bydgoszcz

By the end of 2015, Bydgoszcz like other big cities began to make efforts to establish a metropolis together with other towns and communes. It was related to the Act of 9th October 2015 on metropolitan unions coming into force on 1st January 2016.
The Act provided for a possibility to establish a metropolitan union inhabited by minimum 500,000 inhabitants by the voivodeship city being the seat of the voivode and voivodeship sejmik together with surrounding towns, communes and poviats.
In the first quarter of 2016, councilors from 19 towns and communes inhabited by more than 600,000 people and councilors from 2 poviats adopted appropriate resolutions expressing their will to co-create the “Metropolia Bydgoszcz” metropolitan union.
The well-developing employment market in Bydgoszcz, low unemployment rate and migration of inhabitants of Bydgoszcz to neighboring communes consolidated and activated cooperation between local governments. It became more natural and began to provide benefits to all parties. Unfortunately, the decision made on not issuing executive regulations held the establishment of the union back.
The strengthened partnership between communes and towns improving the comfort of inhabitants’ lives and creating new potential for the whole region resulted in the establishment of the Metropolia Bydgoszcz Association. The activity of communes within the framework of the association is regulated by Article 18, section 2, point 12 and Article 84 of the Act on commune local government, while the activity of poviats is regulated by Article 18, section 2, point 12 and Article 84 of the Act of poviat local government. The counselors had to adopt a resolution entitling the President, Mayors, Vogts and Starosts to join the association.

On 15th September 2016, the Founding Meeting took place in Bydgoszcz, during which the representatives of 19 towns and communes as well as 2 poviats adopted resolutions on the establishment of the Metropolia Bydgoszcz Association, election of the Executive Board and adoption of the Statute. On 23rd November, by the decision of the District Court in Bydgoszcz, the Metropolia Bydgoszcz Association was entered into the register of the National Court Register. The association is created by the City of Bydgoszcz, Poviat of Bydgoszcz and Poviat of Nakło as well as Communes of Barcin, Białe Błota, Dąbrowa Chełmińska, Dobrcz, Kcynia, Koronowo, Łabiszyn, Mrocza, Nakło nad Notecią, Nowa Wieś Wielka, Osielsko, Pruszcz, Sadki, Sicienko, Solec Kujawski, Szubin, Rojewo and Żnin.
When cooperating with each other, the communes and towns support each other in common activities for the social and economic development, improvement of quality of public transport, growth, improvement of inhabitants’ life quality and promotion of the Association’s area.
They develop and implement a common development strategy as well as actions enabling effective management and undertaking joint economic initiatives, which influence the development of the communes and poviats being members of the Association. Their aim is to undertake joint initiatives for the benefit of cultural and social development of the communes and poviats, providing information, consultation and program activities in order to jointly resolve problems within the area of functioning of communal and poviat local authorities, initiate and support research works as well as undertake publishing, training and promotional activity.

source: metropoliabydgoszcz.pl