County councils of Sweden
County council is the Swedish term for a county council. The County Council is not Parliament but an administrative unit that manages their territory in accordance with the principles of local self-government.
Local self-government in Sweden since 1862 takes place on two levels: the municipality and the county council. The County Council takes on tasks that is too extensive for a single community.
The boundaries of the county day cover usually with those of an administrative province (Swedish län), but administratively are both completely independent from each other since the provincial government duties, the state administration, while the County Council is an organ of local self-government.
Organization
Today, there are 20 county councils. In Gotland Municipality ( kommun Gotland ) for all municipal tasks (including that of the provincial Landtag ) responsible.
The deciding body is elected every four years county council ( swedish landstingsfullmäktige ), which elects a board (Swedish landstingsstyrelse ), consisting of the County Councils Councils ( Swedish landstingsråd ). The Diet also selects one of the county council councilors elected Chairman of the Board and one or two councils to deputies. The more organizational structure can be adopted by the relevant county council even after the Local Government Act of 1992. County councils have no legislative function, but are part of the executive.
Tasks
The duties of the county as part of local government include:
- Health care and nursing, including public dental treatment
- Public transport
- Regional economic development
- Regional cultural policy
Among these tasks, the Health Services and Nursing takes the dominant place a (more than 80 % of the cost volume ).
Finances
The tasks of the provincial Landtag be funded at more than half through the collection of municipal income taxes. In 2006, the highest tax rate for the municipal income tax for municipalities and county was 34.24 % ( Dals - Ed Municipality ) and the lowest 28.89 % (municipality Vellinge ). In addition, the county received state subsidies and impose charges for certain services.
On the expenditure side, with 83% of the gross cost of health care and nursing the largest area.
Advocacy
Since 1920, the Swedish county councils in the Swedish County Councils Association ( swedish Landstingsförbundet ) were organized, which should represent their interests, especially against the state. This was merged with the Union of Towns 2007. This new composite, which represents both municipalities and county councils, called Sveriges och kommuner landsting ( SKL ). In addition to his duties of public relations and participation in the legislative process as a reviewer, it offers its members a complete service and acts as employer representatives towards the staff at county councils.