powiatowy

Powiatowy is a Polish adjective meaning "of or relating to a powiat," the second-level unit of territorial division in Poland. A powiat (county) sits between the voivodeship (województwo) and the gmina (commune) and generally comprises several gminas. There are two main types of powiat: land powiat (powiat ziemski) and city with powiat rights (miasto na prawach powiatu). The governing bodies at the powiat level include the powiat council (rada powiatu) and the executive, headed by the starosta in land counties; in cities with powiat rights, the executive is typically the city’s president or mayor.

Powiatowy is widely used in the names of institutions, services and offices operating at the powiat level, such as Powiatowy Urząd Pracy (County Labour Office), Powiatowy Inspektorat Nadzoru Budowlanego (County Inspectorate for Building Supervision) and Powiatowy Lekarz Weterynarii (County Veterinary Officer). It also appears in descriptions of policies, budgets, plans and statistics that pertain to the powiat rather than to a gmina or the voivodeship.

Etymology: powiatowy is formed from powiat (county) with the adjectival suffix -owy, signaling belonging or relation to the powiat.

See also: powiat, starosta, rada powiatu, gmina, województwo.