Editing Białystok (section)

===City government===
{{further|Politics of Białystok}}
Białystok, like other major cities in Poland, is a [[City county (Poland)|city county]] ({{langx|pl|Miasto na prawach powiatu}}).<ref>{{cite web| title = Dz.U. z 1998 r. nr 91, poz. 578 (Sjem of the RP)| url = http://isap.sejm.gov.pl/DetailsServlet?id=WDU19980910578| access-date = 2011-04-15| language = pl| archive-date = 2011-08-07| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110807131629/http://isap.sejm.gov.pl/DetailsServlet?id=WDU19980910578| url-status = live}}</ref> The [[Legislature|Legislative power]] in the city is vested in the [[unicameralism|unicameral]] Białystok [[City Council]] ({{langx|pl|Rada Miasta}}), which has 28 members.<ref name=miasta>{{cite web| title = Statut Miasta Białegostoku| url = http://bipnowy.um.bialystok.pl/253-statut-miasta/lang/pl-PL/default.aspx| access-date = 2011-04-15| language = pl| archive-date = 2011-01-21| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110121061257/http://bipnowy.um.bialystok.pl/253-statut-miasta/lang/pl-PL/default.aspx| url-status = live}}</ref> Council members are elected directly every four years, one of whom is the [[mayor]], or [[President (government title)#Sub-national|President]] of Białystok ({{langx|pl|prezydent}}).<ref name=miasta/> Like most legislative bodies, the City Council divides itself into committees which have the oversight of various functions of the city government.<ref name=miasta/> Bills passed by a [[Plurality (voting)|simple majority]] are sent to the [[mayor]], who may sign them into law.<ref name=miasta/> If the mayor vetoes a bill, the Council has 30 days to override the veto by a [[Supermajority|two-thirds majority]] vote.<ref name=miasta/> The current President of Białystok, elected for his first term in 2006, is [[Tadeusz Truskolaski]] won the elections as the [[Civic Platform]]'s candidate, however, he has no official connection with the party. In the first round of the elections he received 49% of the votes (42,889 votes altogether). In the later runoff he defeated his rival candidate Marek Kozlowski from [[Law and Justice]] ({{langx|pl|Prawo i Sprawiedliwość}}), receiving 67% of the votes cast (53,018 votes).<ref>{{cite web | url=http://wybory2006.pkw.gov.pl/kbw/wynikiWbpKandydatObwody.html?kandydat=8a8a8a840e53afcd010e55a2e6b40122 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110930061140/http://wybory2006.pkw.gov.pl/kbw/wynikiWbpKandydatObwody.html?kandydat=8a8a8a840e53afcd010e55a2e6b40122 | archive-date=2011-09-30 | title=Wyniki głosowania na kandydata w obwodach | publisher=pkw.gov.pl | access-date=2011-08-01|language=pl}}</ref>

For the 2010–2011 fiscal year the city received revenue (taxes levied + investments) of 1,409,565,525 zł, expended 1,676,459,102 zł leaving a budget deficit of 266,893,577 zł.<ref name=biabudget>{{cite web| title = 2010–2011 Budget Statement| url = http://bipnowy.um.bialystok.pl/386-budzet-2011/lang/pl-PL/default.aspx| access-date = 2011-04-15| language = pl| archive-date = 2011-01-21| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110121071116/http://bipnowy.um.bialystok.pl/386-budzet-2011/lang/pl-PL/default.aspx| url-status = live}}</ref> The deficit was covered by short-term borrowing of 166,893,577 zł and the issuance of 100 million zł in [[municipal bond]]s.<ref name=biabudget/>

'''Other levels of governmental representation'''<br />
It is also the seat of government for the [[Podlaskie Voivodeship]].<ref>{{cite web
| title = Podlaskie Voivodeship website
| url = http://www.bialystok.uw.gov.pl/
| access-date = 2011-04-15
| language = pl
| archive-date = 2008-08-28
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080828190207/http://www.bialystok.uw.gov.pl/
| url-status = live
}}</ref> The city is represented by several members of both houses of the Polish Parliament ([[Sejm]] and [[Senate of Poland|Senat]]) from the [[Białystok (parliamentary constituency)|Białystok constituency]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Nohlen|first=Dieter|title=Prawo wyborcze i system partyjny. O teorii systemów wyborczych|publisher=Scholar|location=Warszawa|year=2004|page=15|isbn=83-7383-130-4|language=pl}}</ref> Białystok is represented by the [[Podlaskie and Warmian-Masurian (European Parliament constituency)|Podlaskie and Warmian-Masurian constituency]] of the [[European Parliament]].<ref>{{cite web
| title = The Act of 23rd January 2004 on Elections to the European Parliament
| url = http://www.pkw.gov.pl/pkw2/index.jsp?place=Lead07&news_cat_id=12&news_id=2355&layout=1&page=text
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110716135036/http://www.pkw.gov.pl/pkw2/index.jsp?place=Lead07&news_cat_id=12&news_id=2355&layout=1&page=text
| archive-date = 2011-07-16
| access-date = 2011-04-15|language=pl}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
| title = Polish National Election Commission 2004
| url = http://www.pe2004.pkw.gov.pl/komunikaty/komunikatyPKW/obwieszczenie_internet.pdf
| access-date = 2011-04-15| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110516025550/http://www.pe2004.pkw.gov.pl/komunikaty/komunikatyPKW/obwieszczenie_internet.pdf| archive-date= 16 May 2011 | url-status= live|language=pl}}</ref>