Starosta

Starosta is a Polish title for a local government official. Historically, in the Kingdom of Poland and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, a starosta (from starosta “elder”) was a royal official who administered crown lands on behalf of the king, exercising civil, fiscal, and sometimes judicial authority in designated territories called starostwa.

In modern Poland, the starosta is the head of the executive branch of a powiat (county). The powiat council elects the starosta (and usually one or more vice-starostów) to form the zarząd powiatu, which carries out county administration. The starosta represents the county in relations with the voivode, coordinates tasks such as education at the secondary level, healthcare, public transport, maintenance of county roads, and social welfare, and implements council resolutions. The exact scope of powers can vary by statute and the needs of the county.

The position exists alongside the county council and is one of several tiers of local government introduced in Poland’s post-1989 reforms. The term remains widely used in Poland, with duties and structures adapted to local conditions. Related terms include powiat, voivode, zarząd powiatu, rada powiatu, wójt, burmistrz, and prezydent miasta.