|
Finland Local Administration
Finland's tradition of local self-government, which
predates
the arrival of Christianity in the country, was placed on
a more
modern footing in the nineteenth century when local
functions
were taken from the church, and communities became
responsible
for education and health matters. Universal suffrage was
introduced in local government in 1917, and the
Constitution Act
of 1919 states in Article 51 that "the administration of
the
municipalities shall be based on the principle of
self-government
by the citizens, as provided in specific laws." How local
selfgovernment is practiced in the country's urban and rural
municipalities (numbering 94 and 367, respectively, in
1988) is
specified by the Local Government Act of 1976.
The governing body in a municipality is the municipal
council, the members of which, ranging in number from
seventeen
to eighty-five, are elected by universal suffrage for
four-year
terms. Elections are held in October, and the proportional
representation list system is used. Any Finnish citizen
legally
resident in the municipality and at least eighteen years
old by
the year in which the election is held can vote. Since
1976,
citizens of Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Iceland who have
been
legal residents of Finland for at least two years may also
vote.
Voter turnout has generally been somewhat lower than in
national
elections. In the 1988 local elections, for example, only
70
percent of those eligible--about five to ten percent less
than in
national elections--voted.
Finnish citizens have an obligation to serve in
elective
local government posts, which has meant that most elected
officials are laymen. The 1976 law provides for financial
compensation and pension rights for those citizens elected
to
local positions.
Candidates traditionally have campaigned for office
through
national party organizations, and local election results
are
regarded as an indication of the national parties'
popularity.
Local electoral results mirror those of national elections
with
regard to party dominance in particular regions. Members
of the
Eduskunta often have begun their careers on the local
level, and
they have been allowed to hold both local and national
elective
offices at the same time. Continued participation in
politics at
the grass roots level has given Helsinki politicians close
contact with their constituents.
The responsibilities of municipal government include
managing
the budget and financial affairs, approving plans
submitted to
it, delegating authority to committees, and making
decisions on
important issues. They also direct school, health, and
social
welfare systems; see to the construction and maintenance
of local
roads; provide for the management of waste and water; and
supply
energy. Many decisions relating to financial or budgetary
questions require two-thirds majorities in council votes.
This
means that there is much discussion behind the scenes
before
votes are taken and that there exists the same consensus
politics
at this level as is practiced on the national level.
Because
municipal governments have no legislative or judicial
powers,
decisions are carried out by means of ordinances.
Much of the routine work of governing is managed by the
municipal board, which consists of at least seven people,
one of
whom is the chairman. Board members, who serve for
two-year
terms, come from the council, and they are chosen to
reflect its
party composition. The board prepares matters to be
discussed by
the council, and, if measures are approved, implements
them.
Aiding the board are a number of committees, some
obligatory.
A staff of trained municipal employees assists the
council,
the board, and the committees. To meet their overall
responsibilities, municipal governments employed a large
number
of persons, about 17 percent of the country's total work
force in
the 1980s. For duties too broad in scope for a single
municipality, the managing of a large hospital for
example,
communities join together to form confederations of
minicipalities or joint authorities. By the 1980s, there
were
about 400 of these bodies. Local authorities are also
obliged by
the Local Government Act of 1976 to formulate, publish,
and
frequently revise a five-year plan covering
administration,
financial affairs, economic growth, and land use. Expert
assistance from national government bodies, such as the
Ministry
of Interior, helps local bodies to fulfill this
obligation.
The responsibilities of local government have grown in
recent
decades, and in the 1980s about two-thirds of public
sector
spending was in the hands of local authorities. Local
involvement
in planning also meant that 10 percent of the investment
in the
nation's economy came from municipal coffers. In order to
meet
their responsibilities, local governments have the right
to tax,
including the right to establish local tax rates, a power
needed
for their independence, but one that supplies them with
only 40
percent of the monies they expend. The remainder is
furnished by
the national government (a little over 20 percent) or is
derived
from various fees and charges.
Finnish local self-government is subject to a variety
of
controls. The national government decides the
municipalities'
duties and areas of responsibility, and once they are
established, only a law passed by the Eduskunta may alter
them.
The municipalities are obliged to submit many of their
decisions
to a regional body or to a national government agency for
approval. This control, however, is often rather loose,
and only
when a local government has broken a law does the
provincial or
the national government intervene. Except for minor
changes,
proposals to higher levels of government are not amended
by them,
but rather are returned to local authorities, who
themselves
modify measures or decisions to meet prescribed standards.
Meetings of municipal councils are generally open to
the
public, and though board and committee meetings are
closed,
records of their proceedings are subsequently published.
Local
governments or communes are also obliged to publicize
their
activities. Individuals who believe they have been wronged
by a
municipal policy may appeal to the courts or to officials
at the
provincial or national level.
Data as of December 1988
|
