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Chicago Harris Hosts Delegation of Municipal Legislators from Moscow | December 3, 2012

The University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy welcomed a five-member delegation of municipal legislators from Moscow on December 3, 2012. Chicago Harris was the delegation's first stop on an eight-day visit to Chicago to exchange experiences in the functioning of local government.

George Palamattam, Executive Director of the Council of International Programs Chicago (CIP Chicago) kicks off the day's event. CIP Chicago, a non-profit international educational exchange program that seeks to promote international understanding through professional development and cross-cultural exchange, facilitated the delegation's eight-day visit to Chicago. For more info about CIP Chicago visit: www.cipchicago.org.

Chicago Harris Chief Operating Officer Marc Farinella spoke to the delegation about American political campaign practices. Farinella has held senior leadership roles in both the policy and political arenas. He served as chief of staff for the Governor of Missouri and as North Carolina State Director for Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign.

Maksim Motin, Deputy of the Pechatniki Municipal Legislature, asks Chicago Harris Chief Operating Officer Marc Farinella a question about political campaigns. Mr. Motin wanted to use this exchange as an opportunity to learn more about how local elected officials in the United States interact and communicate with their constituents.

Paula Worthington, Senior Lecturer at Chicago Harris, discussed common methods of organization and management of local governments in the United States, a subject of great interest to all of the delegates.

Yekaterina Kalatskaya, Deputy of the Presniskiy Municipal Legislature, represents a district that will soon be home to Moscow’s financial district and sought to learn more about how local governments in the United States form partnerships with the business community.

Chicago Harris Associate Professor Chris Berry discussed municipal finance and budgeting, with a specific focus on pension reform. Berry also talked about how the Freedom of Information Act has improved transparency in government by allowing researchers, journalists, and private citizens to request information from all levels of government.

Michael Belsky, former Mayor of Highland Park, Ill., addressed the delegation over lunch on the topic of municipal accounting practices. Belsky served for several years as a member of the Governmental Accounting Standards Board, the organization that establishes and improves financial accounting and reporting standards for state and local governments.

Maksim Motin, Deputy of the Pechatniki Municipal Legislature, takes a picture of former Highland Park (Ill.) Mayor Michael Belsky.

Chicago Harris Professor Will Howell (right) and Associate Professor Scott Ashworth (left) shared their insight on the recent presidential election and its potential impact on local governments in the United States.

Chicago Harris Dean Colm O'Muircheartaigh greets members of the delegation before the start of a roundtable discussion with Chicago Harris students.

Gunner Hamlyn, a second-year MPP student at Chicago Harris, facilitated the roundtable discussion between the delegation and Chicago Harris students. Hamlyn is a leader of the Committee on International Affairs and Public Policy (CIAPP), a student-led organization focused on international policy.

Natalya Chernysheva, Deputy of the Zyuzino Municipal Legislature, addresses students during the roundtable discussion. Chernysheva is General Manager of the non-profit organization Public Control, which audits the financial reports of state and municipal authorities.

Natasha Collins, a second-year MPP student at Chicago Harris, was living in Russia during the 2008 Russian presidential election. She asked the delegates to discuss the role of money in Russian elections vis-a-vis those in the United States, especially in the wake of the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision.

Vladimir Garnachuk, Deputy of Traparevo-Nikulino Municipal Legislature, spoke to students during a roundtable discussion about his motivation for running for elected office. Garanchuck was president of his condominium association and learned that the management company was embezzling funds from the association's bank account. When his local elected official was unwilling to assist the association in their effort to reclaim the money, Garanchuck decided to challenge him in the next election.

Andrey Ambartsumov, Deputy of Ryazanskoye Municipal Legislature, noted during the roundtable discussion with students that deputies to Moscow's municipal legislatures serve voluntarily and must execute their duties while holding down full-time jobs. Ambartsumov, for instance, is a Legal Counselor at Spektrum-Holding, LLC., a design works, construction support and real estate management company.

In addition to the roundtable discussion, several of the delegates spoke with writers from the Chicago Policy Review. Natalya Chernysheva is interviewed by second-year MPP student, and Chicago Policy Review editor-in-chief, Lindsay Haymes. Chernsheva discussed her anti-corruption initiatives, for which she said she's been compared to Elliott Ness, the federal law enforcement official who brought down the notorious Chicago mobster Al Capone.

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