Zeszyty Naukowe Uniwersytetu Szczecińskiego. Acta Politica

Polish administrative reform, despite the passage of years, remains the subject of disputes arising at different levels of public debate. Its purposefulness is sometimes questioned and the results are subject to critical evaluation mainly from residents of cities and regions that are believed to be disadvantaged by the transformation of local government structures. A good example of this problem is Legnica, which systemic position has changed after the loss of the status of the capital city of voivodeship. The question of the accuracy of that assessment, however, requires a comprehensive research beyond the capabilities of a single article. Undoubtedly, the analysis of changes in the systemic position of the President of Legnica, who is also the primary political actor and general manager of the city, is a necessary step on the way to in-depth evaluation of the previously mentioned problem. This article is intended to be a prelude to further analysis of formal and nonformal network of relationships determining the real power and political position of the municipal authorities. The purpose of this article is to trace the changes in the scope of competence of the President of Legnica and its relations with the other institutions. Included in the article introduction to network analysis and conclusions drawn from the analysis of key legal acts will be developed in further research.