hromady

Hromady, or hromada in singular, are territorial communities and the basic units of local self-government in Ukraine. A hromada may consist of a single city, town, or village, or of several settlements united into one administrative entity. These bodies are formed through voluntary amalgamation of neighboring settlements and operate as self-governing communities within the framework of national law. The amalgamated territorial communities, abbreviated OTG in Ukrainian, were central to the decentralization reforms that began in the mid-2010s.

Each hromada has an elected council and an executive head known as the head of the hromada (the mayor in urban hromadas). The council approves the local budget and regulations; the administration implements decisions and manages municipal services. Core responsibilities typically include education and preschool facilities, healthcare support, housing and communal services, roads and transportation, waste management, social protection, culture and sports, land use, and economic development within the territory. Hromadas may own property and operate municipal enterprises.

Financing comes from local taxes and fees, as well as state subsidies and transfers. They possess their own budgets and have limited revenue-raising powers defined by law. The status and operations of hromadas are defined by Ukrainian constitutional and administrative law, and their relations with raions and oblasts have evolved through the 2020 administrative-territorial reform, which reduced the number of raions and increased the relative autonomy of local communities.

Hromady exist in urban, settlement, and rural forms across Ukraine, and are often seen as the primary vehicle for bringing public services closer to residents and enabling local development. See also Local government in Ukraine; Administrative divisions of Ukraine.