Transformation of Municipal Districts in Urban Districts: Changes in the Mechanism of Legal Regulation

Abstract

The purpose of the paper is the research of municipal and legal policy in the field of territorial organization of the local self-government in relation to novations in federal legislation introduced in 2014 and 2017. Federal law of 03.04.2017 № 62-FL formalized in legislation the procedure of unification of all the residences, which compose municipal district with urban district with ensuing elimination of the municipal district. On the ground of the comparative analysis of legislation and materials of legal practice several conclusions were drawn. It has been noted that Federal law № 62-FL legislatively regulated only one way of urban district formation on the ground of municipal districts, which has formed in the practice of RF territorial entities. However, in the case where all the municipal districts in a subject of Russian Federation will be reorganized into urban districts, it will lead to the elimination of the settlement level of local government and to a transition to the single level system of local government.