LIFE ENVIRONMENT EXPENDITURES OF SLOVAK MUNICIPALITIES IN A CONTEXT OF THEIR INDEBTEDNESS.

Indebtedness of local municipalities has become a key problem and main target of recent debates and discussions in Slovakia. Growing public debt negatively influences the economic development and causes serious troubles to every country and its inhabitants. In a paper we analyse and examine the influence of growing indebtedness on municipalities' decision to finance life environment protection. For our purpose, we chose eight municipalities representing the capital cities of the Slovak high territorial units. We analysed the development of indebtedness within period 2009-2012. From obtained data we examined how indebtedness influences the decision of selected municipalities to spend expenditures on life environment protection. Methodology and methods for data analysis are described in Chapter 2. We stated hypothesis that indebtedness in selected municipalities causes decreased financing of life environment. We found out that indebtedness development has direct connections and impacts on decision of municipality representatives. The general trend in analysed Slovak municipalities with few exemptions is that higher indebtedness level means lower finances directed towards life environment protection. Further conclusions and discussion are part of Chapter 4. Paper is elaborated within national scientific research project VEGA 1/1195/12 Strategic interactions of the Slovak local municipalities in determining the tax rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]