One of the five guiding principles of the Constitution adopted on April 2nd 1997 outlining the legal basis of Poland's political system is the principle of elected local government. The Constitution states that the local government participates in the exercise of power.
Local government structures were revived in Poland in 1990. The basic (lowest) organisational unit of local government is the gmina - a municipal (urban) or rural administrative district. The group of all the gmina districts in a given voivodeship (the major territorial division; alternative spelling voivodship) convene at their sejmik or regional council.
In 1999 a new three-tier division of local government was introduced. The three tiers in local government are the gmina (basic level), an intermediate level called the powiat (alternative spelling poviat), and the major territorial unit, called the voivodeship (Polish województwo). There are 16 voivodeships.
Local government's decision-making and supervisory bodies are the councils (rada), which operate at all three levels. The councils make basic decisions on matters affecting their respective jurisdictions. They set local by-laws, pass budgets and inspect their execution, set local taxes and charges (on the grounds of existing legislature) and adopt resolutions on matters of property rights. The councils appoint and dismiss voivodship sejmik speakers. Council members are elected by universal, direct, equal and secret ballot.