Evaluation of sub-district municipalities closed in Simav Kütahya in terms of the optimal local government

As all around the world, local governments fulfill important services in our country as well. For the provision of these services effectively, it is important whether they have optimal size or not. Especially in recent years with the legal regulations carried out in our country, on the establishment of municipalities vital changes have been made. Small municipalities have been closed and the number of municipalities has increased. With the law No. 5393 for the establishment of municipality although the population criteria has been raised up from 2000 to 5000, the transformation of villages into towns whose population is under 2000 stated in the same law cannot be implemented up to local government elections until publication of the law numbered 6360, 30rd March 2014. It is stated in the law that 559 sub-district municipalities will transform into villages with the 30rd March 2014 elections. In the same list, Simav the district of Kütahya has been the district whose 18 sub-district has transformed into villages. Our research population consists of 559 sub-district municipalities transformed into villages and our sample consists of 18 sub-district transformed into villages in Simav. In our study, focus group interviews were conducted by using qualitative data collection methods. The focus group interviews were held in two groups with the mayors of sub-district municipalities closed in Simav. In the focus group interviews, the mayors were asked for their opinions about transformation of municipalities into villages, the outcome of the loss of their legal identities and how the services would be carried out from now on and made their analysis. This study aims to analyze the sub-districts closed in Simav with the law numbered 6360 in terms of their optimal local government size by focusing on innovations over the local governments in Turkey and makes an analysis about whether services provided in the local governments will be disrupted or not. Taking into account scale and efficiency criteria as a result of closure of the sub-district municipalities, it indicates that transfer of the resources into metropolitan municipalities or special provincial administrations that can use them more effectively is a good decision. Key Words: Optimal size, Municipality, Focus Group Interview