Perception of the Potential of Municipal Council Members in Local Development: A Case Study of Mae Lao Subdistrict Municipality, Mae Lao District, Chiang Rai Province

Abstract

This research aimed to 1) study opinions on the potential of Mae Lao Municipality Council members in local development and 2) propose guidelines for promoting the potential of Mae Lao Municipality Council members in local development. This research was quantitative research. The samples used in the research were people in Mae Lao Municipality and group discussions were conducted with key informants, namely, municipal council members, municipal council presidents, and municipal clerks, to present the results of the questionnaire analysis and find guidelines for developing the potential of municipal council members in local development. The quantitative research instrument was a questionnaire. The statistics used were percentage, mean (x̄), and standard deviation (SD). The results of the research found that the potential of municipal council members in local development was overall at a good level (x̄ = 3.53, SD = 0.91). However, this score was in the range below the good level and there were high differences in opinions in some aspects when considering each aspect separately. It was found that the potential in the legislative aspect was at a high level (x̄ =3.59), followed by the administrative control aspect (x̄ =3.53) and the participation aspect (x̄ =3.51), while the public representation aspect received the lowest score at (x̄ =3.50), reflecting that the public still viewed that the members of the council still lacked communication and interaction with the community comprehensively.