CITIZEN PARTICIPATION AND LOCAL PUBLIC MANAGEMENT THE CASE OF MUNICIPAL ENVIRONMENTAL COUNCILS IN BRAZIL

Abstract

This article examines whether citizen participation in environmental management through Brazil’s Municipal Environmental Councils affects the municipal government’s performance in terms of its expenditure on environmental management and capacity to obtain funds through the ICMS-E, a legal instrument that increases tax revenues for municipal governments with a better environmental performance. Based on analysis of data from the public budget and the characteristics of the Municipal Environmental Councils, it concludes that the existence of an Environmental Council positively affects municipal environmental management. Expenditure on the environmental management function and transfers from the ICMS-E tend to be higher in municipalities where there is an Environmental Council. This implies that social participation, through the Councils, positively affects municipal environmental management and helps to improve the municipal government’s financial capacity