Municipal Decision-making

The highest decision-making organ is the City Council which is elected by municipal election every fourth year by the residents. The main responsibilities of the City Council consist of laying down the general operative and financial outlines and deciding on the main objectives.

The council is future-oriented and it defines long-term goals and objectives. The City Board is responsible for administration and financial management of the city. It prepares matters to be decided by the Council, executes the decisions and ensures their legality. The City Board's members and their personal deputies are elected by the City Council for a term of two years.

There are several committees and boards working under the City Board. Each committee has its own character. The Mayor (Petri Härkönen) works under the City Board as the head of municipal administration, financial management and other functions.