Pavel Zdražil’s research while affiliated with University of Pardubice and other places

The aim of the research was to assess the developmental priorities of municipalities as they reflect the current policy objectives of the Czech Republic and the European Union, with a focus on the Green Deal and accelerating developmental changes in the external environment. To this end, the key priorities of the Just Transition Fund programme, which is designed for structurally affected regions in the Czech Republic, were selected. Specifically, these included themes in the areas of energy, waste management, transport, brownfield revitalisation and education. The method for obtaining information on the attitudes of municipalities was a questionnaire survey in 160 municipalities within the Ústí nad Labem Region, which also helped to assess the differences between small and large municipalities. The research found that municipalities are prioritising development in energy and waste treatment. At the same time, small municipalities, with under 1000 inhabitants, are slower to develop projects than larger municipalities, and larger municipalities were also more aware of the importance of sustainability issues for future municipal development.

This paper presents the dynamics of an implementation of the policy of a higher local real estate coefficient as an innovation in the fiscal policy of local governments in post-communist Czechia. The punctuated equilibrium theory is applied in order to show the dynamics of diffusion of this fiscal innovation among 6,258 municipalities in the period 2009-2021. In order to get a more complex picture of local governments´ behaviour, dynamics are studied in a nexus of various approaches to fiscal federalism. In particular, the S-shaped curve and spatial analysis are employed within the analytical framework. The results suggest the policy of a higher local real estate coefficient is spreading out in municipalities known for a higher level of population and industry concentration where is a need for a high level of public services. Secondly, the policy is applied most frequently in populated areas and regions challenging structural challenges contributing to their depopulation. Thirdly, considering the election cycles, the local governments act on issues of a level of local taxation tactically. Finally, the spatial analysis revealed the approach of tactical changing of local taxes is rather concentrated in the northwestern part of Czechia (i.e., in the underdeveloped region with obsolete economic structure). On the other hand, the spatial division of municipalities that surrounded the policy of higher local taxation is equal across the country. We also argue the impact of tax-mimicking behaviour may be less determinant than the previous studies suggested. On contrary, the factors like population density, depopulation, and substitution of the declining tax revenues seem to be more of determining factors for Czech municipalities.

This study introduces a new (adopted) method of indirect estimation of the development of the productivity structure in the regions, which at the same time allows estimation of the contribution resulting from changes within the capital factor. Its theoretical background is built on the principles of growth accounting. Within this framework the study employs an arguable assumption of analogy in development of multifactor productivity of industry between the national and regional level. The literature review and empirical results shows, however, that such an assumption may be correct in some cases. Therefore, the article enhances the existing productivity analysis capabilities at the regional level. Within the aim, this study verifies the potential of applicability of proposed method on the regions of Poland. It uses the measure of symmetric mean absolute percentage error (SMAPE) to evaluate the accuracy of method proposed against actual values and the results of two other frequently used methods for disaggregation of capital among the regions in a country. The results indicate that the new method should be more accurate than the methods of regional decomposition of capital-based on value added, and flows investment accumulation. In fact, it seems to be quite correct especially in the industries of wholesale & retail trade, transport & storage, real estates, health & social work, and manufacturing. On the other hand, it is likely incorrect in the industries of information & communication activities, finance & insurance, and administrative & support activities. In general, the method seems to be more accurate for larger industries and vice versa. Higher precision is also observed for industries where capital demand is clearly increasing. Similarly, the method is more accurate in industries where none of the regions are more specialized and vice versa.

In this study, we argue that a historical background of the region matters in tax mimicking and yardstick competition as a matter of principle. We seek to determine factors supporting the policy of the high local property tax in the Czech Republic. Based on the statistical and spatial data of 6,258 municipalities between 2009 and 2019, the results show that the municipalities burdened by large industrial facilities, as well as municipalities in the functional urban areas (FUAs), apply the policy of higher property taxation twice frequently than the rest. On the other hand, the industrial stimuli keep enfeebling after 2010, and the number of local governments preferring high property taxation is variegated across different FUAs. The causal analysis based on Granger's approach concludes an existence of cumulative effects of both industry and the FUAs, which push the municipalities with large industrial facilities located within an FUA to increase the property taxes. From the mimicking point of view, we found that mimicking policy is an important phenomenon among the municipalities of Czech Republic; however, it has different impacts on both stimuli (Industry and FUA). The analysis suggests that it rather incites the municipalities within the FUA to increase the local property taxes.

Since the 1990s, the Czech intergovernmental fiscal relations have been undergoing a transformation. One of the measurements strengthening the autonomy of local authorities was the introduction of the instrument of the local coefficient in 2009 which provided the municipalities with the possibility to raise real estate tax in order to maximize their revenues. The aim of this article is to statistically analyse the impact of this instrument on the quality of life in a sample of Czech municipalities which have changed the local coefficient from 1 up to 5. The empirical analysis consists of two parts - a non-parametrical correlation analysis and paired difference testing. It is carried out in context of population ageing versus population growth, and the availability of basic public services (education, health care, communication, public safety). The analysis proves that there are great differences between the municipalities that have increased the real estate taxes and municipalities that have not. In the second case, the municipalities are more threatened by population ageing as they face the growth of population while the number of working age citizens is declining together with the provision of public services. Meanwhile, the municipalities that have increased the coefficient of real estate taxes have experienced increase in both population and working age population sizes. Such municipalities do not face the problem of shrinking of public services. Also, the policy of raising local coefficient implies a potential for ongoing development of districts.