The local level

Sweden is divided into 290 municipalities. Each municipality has an elected assembly, the municipal council, which takes decisions on municipal matters. The municipal council appoints the municipal executive board, which leads and coordinates municipality work.

The municipal council takes decisions in many areas: matters concerning compulsory school and upper secondary school, preschool, care of the elderly, roads, water and sewage, energy, etc. The municipalities also issue various types of licence, for example building licences and licences to serve wine, beer and spirits on premises.

The activities are financed through municipal taxes, government grants and charges, and are primarily regulated by the Swedish Local Government Act. Other Acts important to the municipalities include the Social Services Act, the Planning and Building Act and the Schools Act.

The municipal council meets as a rule once a month and takes all major decisions in principle for the municipality. Meetings are public as are the records of the meetings. Municipal decisions may be appealed either through assessment of legality or appeal to the county administrative board.

The municipal council appoints the municipal executive board. The party with the majority in the council also holds the majority in the council. The municipal council is the central administrative body and is assisted in its work by a number of committees, e.g. the education committee and the social welfare committee. As a rule an administrative organisation is also attached to each committee: a social welfare office is attached to the social welfare committee, etc.