LOCAL AND REGIONAL STRUCTURES IN FINLAND
Finland is a unitary state composed of municipalities (kunta), provinces (lääni) and regions (maakunnan liitto).
Local level: 446 municipalities (kunta)
Municipal authorities
The municipal council (kunnanvaltuusto) is composed of members elected every four years at the proportional representation system. This deliberative body appoints the executive board and the mayor.
The executive board (kunnanhallitus) is composed of members appointed by the municipal council. It is responsible for running the municipal administration and for its finances. The executive board may be assisted by sector-based committees.
The mayor (or municipal manager) is elected by the municipal council. (S)he can be elected for an indefinite or fixed term of office. This local government officer heads the administration and prepares the decisions to be adopted by the executive board.
Municipal competences
. Health care (primary and secondary, dental services)
. Social services (child day care, services for the aged and the disabled)
. Education (pre-school, primary, secondary, vocational training, adult education, libraries)
. Culture, leisure, sport
. Land use planning and supervision of building
. Maintenance of the technical infrastructure and the environment, (streets, energy management, water and sewage works, waste management, harbours, public transport)
. promotion of business and employment
. Independent taxation right and finances (approximately 80 % of local expenditures are financed by revenue from local income tax, share of corporate income tax , real estate tax and charges)
Intermediary level: 5 provinces (läänit)
Provincial authorities
The provincial state office (lääninhallitus) is headed by the governor (maaherra or landshövding). It is part of the central government's executive branch. The governor is appointed by the president of the Republic after a proposal by the cabinet and is in charge of the management of the administrative offices of the province.
Competences
Administrative competences exclusively
Note: There is one autonomous province: Aaland. This province has an autonomous government (Landskapsstyrelse), an administration as well as a legislative assembly (Lagting) elected by universal suffrage. Its competences include education and culture, police, health, social affairs, employment...
Regional level: 20 regions (maakunnan liitto)
Regional authorities
The regional council is a statutory joint local authority. It is composed of members elected by the municipalities of the region and is supported in its tasks by a civil service.
Competences
. Regional development and policies
. Regional planning
. Preparation and execution of programmes co-financed by the Structural Funds
Note: The Act on Regional Self-Government Experiment in Kainuu introduced a Regional Council elected by a direct ballot (2005) and widened the responsibility of the Kainuu Region to include social and welfare and health care services and a partial responsibility for education.
