The aim of this paper is to deepen the understanding of why citizen participation is important for democratic development of a state; how it influences the quality of governance, especially, at the local level; how thepublic can be involved in the local government decision-making process and what are the risks of and obstacles to citizen participation in Ukraine. Citizen engagement in policymaking is one of the fundamental principles of democracy and civil society development. The overall goal of public participation is building trustful relations between a territorial community and local authorities. Their dialogue helps to increase the level of mutual responsibility, transparency, and accountability as well as to foster the development of local government.