Level of administrative subdivision in Hungary
A city with county rights (or urban county, Hungarian: "megyei jogú város", MJV) is a level of administrative subdivision in Hungary. Since 1994 all county seats are automatically awarded this status, and between 2012–2022 this was the only way a city could earn county rights. All cities earned this status before 2012 have retained their status and there is no way to revoke the title by the law. From 2006 until 2022, there were 23 cities with county rights, and 25 since 1 May 2022. Before 1950, cities with former "municipal rights" "(törvényhatósági jogú város)" had a similar status as the present urban counties.
Budapest is not considered an urban county and has a special "capital city" status among the other Hungarian cities.
Every city with county rights is allowed to be subdivided into districts. The representative body is the General Assembly "(közgyűlés)" which elects with the County Assembly a council that takes care of different tasks related to the county. Cities with county rights performs the tasks and powers of the county as its own authority but must provide some public services to the whole or a large area of the county (eg. education, health services, cultural services). Assemblies of the county and the urban county cooperate via a coordination committee to prepare and coordinate common tasks.
History.
Between 1954 and 1971, the four largest regional cities received the "megyei jogú város" title. These were Debrecen, Miskolc, Pécs and Szeged. Then, from 1971 to 1989, the four previous cities and Győr were granted a new status known as "county city" "(megyei város)". This status was also extended to three other cities in 1989: Kecskemét, Nyíregyháza and Székesfehérvár (county seats and over 100,000 residents). After the end of Communism, this status was abolished and replaced by the "urban counties". In 1990 the earlier eight "megyei város" and twelve additional cities became "megyei jogú város" which reached 50 thousand residents as limited by law. In 1994 all county seat earned the title by law modification (Salgótarján and Szekszárd became urban counties). In 2006 Érd also earned the title after demanded since residents exceeded 50 thousand by the 2000s. Though some of the cities which are not county seats meanwhile decreased under the limit, they still retained their status (Dunaújváros, Hódmezővásárhely, Nagykanizsa). Since 2012 it is declared by law that earlier earned status could not be lost, as well that cities need to become county seats before earning "urban city" title. In 2022 the law was amended that National Assembly can grant the status to any city annexed to the law as a list, and the same time named Baja and Esztergom in the annex. ;ref ;3. annex to the law 2011/CLXXXIX (effective: 1 May 2022) "Törvény erejénél fogva megyei jogú város 1. Baja 2. Esztergom" ;/ref ;
References.
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