Sezione Regione Puglia

CHI SIAMO - english version

• The Town and Province Secretaries Roll (ex AGES)

  In venue of conversion of Law Enacted May 31, 2010, n. 78 by law n. 122/2010 (on Official Gazette n. 176 of July 30, 2010) the Town and Province Secretaries Agency (AGES) has been suppressed. At universal title the Ministry of Interior succeeds the same [the Town and Province Secretaries Agency was a juridical-public entity with organizing, management and accounting autonomy, under the supervision of Prime Minister, Office - Department of Regional Affairs. It was instituted with the law n. 127/97, paragraph 76, article 17 (Bassanini - law) and currently regulated by the Consolidated Act of Laws on the legal system of Local Authorities (TUEL)].
  
  Therefore, the Agency Organs (boards of directors) have lost of right and the General Director and Vice General Director have given up their assignments.
  The continuity of functions ascribed to AGES is guaranteed at territorial level by the Prefect of the Province capital of region, who succeeds the abolished regional section Boards of Directors of AGES, making use of related offices and staff.
  
  All the tasks of abolished Agency are confirmed: to take care of access to the career of secretary; to keep the roll from which the mayors and provincial presidents choose the secretaries; to organize courses in career progression; to charge the available secretaries of carrying out regencies and temporary positions near town secretary’s office; finally, to supervise the continuous training and updating of High School of Local Public Administration (SSPAL).
  
  The Town and Province Secretaries Roll has central head in Rome; there are also eighteen regional sections. The section of Puglia works on a territory divided into six provinces and 258 towns.

• But, who is really the town secretary? He is a public officer in service of town, while the ex-Agency is his employer; it is with this public entity that the secretary, at the time of engagement, signs his employment contract and establishes the employment relationship. As registered on the special National Territorial Roll, the secretary is bound by means of service relation to the ex-Agency, but normally (except permanence status near the same ex-Agency) he has an organic relationship with the town, in the sense that he depends functionally by the local administrators. In particular, it is with the mayor (or the president of province) that the secretary establishes a relationship based on trust, given that- within one hundred and twenty days from his proclamation - the mayor can decide to confirm or to initiate the proceeding for the appointment of a new secretary chosen among the registered ones in the Roll.

  The secretary oversees and coordinates the activities of managers. In the light of modification produced by Bassanini law, the secretary is to be considered as the mayor official in rank, even if the mayor of a municipality with 100.000 inhabitants (or president of province) may appoint a general director, outside the organic at forward contract. In such a case the responsibilities between the two figures are only shared out: the general director shall implement the guidelines and the objectives stated by the organ of government; the second shall provide more to the control of legality assets.

  Nevertheless, the fact that in a lot of municipalities the functions of public manager are conferred to the secretary demonstrates that high ranking management continues to be a prerogative of the same (secretary), and it is added to other key functions such as: attendance at executive committee and town councils sessions; rafting of the minutes; implementation of the direction of the elected organs through the investigation of administrative proceedings mandatory counselling - but not binding on any draft resolution; drawing up a deed where is not required an outside notary.

  How to be a municipal secretary? Access to career of municipal and provincial secretary is decreed by article 13 DPR 4.12.1997 n. 465. This rule keeps the entry for graduates in law or economics or political science, in possession of approval granted by the High School of Public Local Administrations, issued at the end of nine months course training and followed by a training of three months near one or more municipalities. One can access to the course by public examinations held for a number of positions previously determined by the National Board in requirement for realize the Roll of Secretary.

  The examinations after the pre-selective testing consist of three written and one oral proves in the matters included in paragraph 5 DPR n. 465/97. The course participants are given a pay of grant of no more than fifty per cent of emoluments corresponding to the first professional band. At the end of the course the ex-Ages awards regional sections those who are qualified. The rejection of the first appointment automatically implies the striking off the roll.