Decentralization by Devolution; Perceptions of Councilors on the Level of their Decision Making Authority in Local Government Experience from Tarime Town Council

Abstract

Early 1990s governments across the South have embarked on democratic decentralization reforms aimed at introducing and strengthening local governance because of its assumed potential to improve the delivery of public services and alleviate poverty. To comply with that international practice, in early 2000 Tanzania government decide embarked on an ambitious Local Government Reform Program that addressed Political decentralization. Political decentralization signaled the government’s commitment to enhance the decision making authority of local government councils on matters affecting local development including determining priorities for local development, land use, finance, service delivery and human resource management. This paper sought to find out whether the selected local government council led by councilors enjoys the development planning, and service delivery authority as established in the local government law. The findings have confirmed that the case study council enjoyed modest decision making authority in the areas of local development planning, selecting local development strategy, and enjoyed even greater authority over service delivery powers.