After Bessarbia was annexed to the Rumanian federation of states, administration procedures changed drastically. Converting to the Rumanian administration was not easy for the Germans. Rumanian was dictated to be the official language at once. Hardly a person spoke the language of the land. Offices and officials received new names and often changes of competencies.

In contrast to the earlier Russian times, there was no special law governing the Germans in Rumania. The old methods were practiced for a short transitionary period. The first order was the dissolution of the Semstwo in a decree dated October 14, 1918. The Rumanian state, which had been considerably enlarged after 1918 gave itself a central administration and all powers were de facto in Bucharest. Administration was excessive and corruption was everywhere. There were 28 governments between 1919 and 1940. It is obvious that such an unstable form of state could not sufficiently administer a far distant province like Bessarabia.

A new Rumanian administrative law introduced the community council (Consiliul comunal) in Krasna and eliminated the existing village administration from Russian times at the same time. District offices were disbanded in 1924.

The Rumanian administration was a pure state government and became fully effective in 1925. Administration structures were as follows:

The Comuna (Community) was the lowest level of administration. It was not necessarily the village, it was more comparable with the Russian Wolost. Village administration with a mayor ceased to exist. Krasna became its own administrative unit (Comuna).

The Communal Council ¹⁾ represented the Comuna. The majority of its members was elected by the population entitled to vote for a period of eight years each. (See also below for election procedures). There were also “natural” members, such as the priest/pastor and school administrator. After each change of government, the Communal Council was dissolved and replaced by temporary committees. The above mentioned terms of office were rarely adhered to. The Primar (comparable to the former Chief Mayor) was the executive for the Communal Council, supported by two associates. These were elected by the Community Council for a period of four years (not like in Russian times by the Community Assembly). Only members of the Communal Council were eligble.
See also Communal Council Members under 7.8, State and Community Offices of Administration, functionaries in administration on state and community level.

The Primar was the leader of the Comuna and also chief of police. He could not arrest people or fine people. The former chancellery was now called Primaria. Next to the Primar, the notary was the most important person in the communal administration. He was a state employee and comparable to the former Wolost secretary. He often had a secretary to help.

The Primar could no longer function as independently as the Chief Mayor of earlier times. All administrative action required approval of the Community Council and votes were handled by showing of hands. The Rumanian government also interfered greatly with community matters. The community budget needed to be approved by the Prefectura. (see below) The communal administration was responsible for the construction and upkeep of public buildings, roads and bridges, water supply, cleanliness of the community, cattle and horse breeding and the care for the poor and orphaned.
In these turbulent times the office of Primar was not an easy one. He could only captain the ship of his community with a great amount of tact and good improvisation skills. The first Krasna Primar under Rumanian rule was Matthias Volk.
As already mentioned above, Krasna people did not always follow the letter of the law. For instance, they elected a Sotzki in Rumanian times, although this office no longer existed officially. They continued calling the community leader Chief Mayor, although he was now titled Primar. He also went about his business in many ways similar as before, which was not prescribed by Rumanian law (re. Concerning police powers).
Eduard Ruscheinsky has more interesting details pertaining to community administration. See article Die Gemeindeverwaltung von Krasna/Bessarabien, community administration of Krasna/Bessarabia, published in Heimatbuch 25 Jahre nach Umsiedlung 1965 (Homeland Book 25 years after Resettlement 1965), page 39.

The plasa, or district was the next level of administrative unit. Several communities formed it. It was not a district corporation, but a pure administrative office. The office was called Pretura and a state employee, called Pretor, who was in turn assisted by a secretary, headed it. It was the responsibility of the Pretor that law and order was kept in his district. His responsibilities were largely the same as the former Russian bailiff’s, with the exception of judicial powers.

Krasna belonged to Plasa Tarutino. It was comprised of 31 communities including the German ones of Tarutino, Krasna, Wittenberg, Kulm, Leipzig, Alt-Posttal, Beresina, Klöstitz, Borodino and others. It is obvious that in Rumanian times there were no more pure German administrative districts, as had been the case in Russian times.

Several regions (Plasas) formed a Judez (district). It was represented by a district council (elected for a period of eight years). The district council chose a “permanent delegation” from their midst for a period of four years. This was the executive organ, headed by a prefect, supported by a vice-prefect.
In addition to supervision of communities, this district also supported the upkeep and operation of professional education, the hospitals, and institutions for the poor and orphaned, depots of agricultural equipment, tree and grape schools as well as road construction.
The Tarutino region belonged to the district of Cetatea Alba (Akkerman); the district administration (Administratia Judetiana) was called a Prefectura.

Above it was the province, headed by a royal caretaker called Presedent Regal.
Akkerman district belonged to the province of Bessarabia (district of Nistru since 1938) with the capital of Kischinev.

Election was handled by bullet election and all persons over 21 years of age were entitled to vote, as long as they were Rumanian citizens. A list system was used. There were community, district and parliament elections.
For more information on the bullet election, see 4.8.2.2, Self-government on the Local Level

Beginning in 1929 the following ten years had at least three administrative reforms, which in part changed the described structures in part and sometimes reversed the preceding reforms. In general the administrative levels described above remained in effect until 1940. From 1938 on, after the king of Rumania introduced an autocratic government. Primars and their representatives were no longer elected but appointed by the government. The Communal Council ceased to exist.

The constant demands of the Germans to use their own language had a certain amount of success in the administrative laws of 1938, as article 41 of this law documents: In communities where the majority of the residents belong to a national minority, the mayor shall be elected from their midst. In these communities the members of the community council may voice their opinions in the meetings in their native tongue. In such instances, the speeches need to be translated simultaneously into Rumanian.