¿En la guerra con un tenedor? la escala municipal en Uruguay, lecturas de la primera generación de municipios uruguayos

Abstract

"To war with a fork" is a saying that emphasizes the asymmetry between means and goals. A Uruguayan Mayor used this expression to illustrate that the role of municipality -what it does or is able to do- is not clearly seen from the perspective of the community. Therefore, demands posed by neighbors do not fit with the skills and resources of the municipality. Comparative experience provides examples of municipalities in Europe and America, which has a strong tradition of local government and local management. This does not happen in Uruguay, where the first 89 municipalities were created in 2010. For decades, the country has transited through several reforms related with the territorial organization of the State, including deconcentration of services and decentralization of decision power, but the common factor has always been the binomial: weak - dependence. In this paper we question about the processes of inequality and territorial diversity and its impact in the municipal jurisdictions. Information on the organizational characteristics of Municipalities and its resources is also provided.