önkormányzatukat

Önkormányzat is the Hungarian term for local self-government, a level of government responsible for administering a municipality such as a village (község), town (város), or the capital city. In Hungary, these bodies operate with a degree of autonomy under the constitutional framework and the Local Government Act. The possessive form önkormányzatukat is used when referring to the local governments of others, i.e., “their local governments.”

A typical local government structure includes a képviselő-testület (representative body) elected by residents and an executive head, the polgármester (mayor), who may be assisted by an alpolgármester. The jegyző heads the municipal administration. Municipalities may organize committees to oversee areas such as education, culture, housing, and public works. Their responsibilities cover urban planning and zoning, housing and local infrastructure, waste management, local roads, social services, and the provision of certain early childhood and local cultural activities. Many municipalities also engage in local economic development and community programs, sometimes in cooperation with neighboring municipalities.

Funding comes from a mix of own revenues (fees and local taxes or charges), grants and subsidies from the central government, and intergovernmental transfers. Autonomy is exercised within legal limits, and municipalities often collaborate through inter-mmunicipal associations to share services or undertake joint projects for efficiency and economies of scale.

Language note: önkormányzatukat is the plural possessive form of önkormányzat, used to refer to “their local governments” in contexts where the local governments belong to other people or groups. It appears in sentences where the object is the local governments belonging to others.