VÄSTMANLAND ASSOCIATON OF LOCAL

AUTHORITIES AND COUNTY COUNCILOUR VISION IS

”EFFICIENCY THROUGH CO-OPERATION”

- THIS IS HOW WE WORK TO ACHIEVE IT

SWEDISH LOCAL GOVERNMENTSWEDISH LOCAL GOVERNMENTSweden is divided into 290 municipalities, 18 county councils and two regions. There is no hierarchical relation between municipalities, county councils and regions, since all have their own self-governing local authorities with responsibility for different activities.

The Parliament, Riksdagen is the supreme political decision-making body in Sweden.

SWEDISH LOCAL GOVERNMENTSWEDISH LOCAL GOVERNMENTLocal government has a long tradition in Sweden. The country's municipalities, county councils and regions are responsible for providing a significant proportion of all public services. They have a considerable degree of autonomy and have independent powers of taxation.

Local self-government and the right to levy taxes are stipulated in the Instrument of Government, one of the four pillars of the Swedish Constitution.

VÄSTMANLAND COUNTYVÄSTMANLAND COUNTY

Västmanland county has almost 250 000 inhabitants. The area is 5 691 km2, with 48 inhabitants per km2.

The county consists of 10 municipalities; Arboga, Fagersta, Hallstahammar, Kungsör, Köping, Norberg, Sala, Skinnskatteberg, Surahammar and Västerås.

The county of Västmanland is a part of the Stockholm-Mälar region and is situated west of Stockholm. 2,9 million people live in this region: a third of the population in Sweden.

ABOUT VKLABOUT VKLVästmanland Association of Local Authorities and County Council (VKL) is a non-profit making association which was formed in September 2005.

Through VKL the county’s municipalities and County Council have together created a strong co-operation platform for a joint dialogue in the county.

Each member/responsible authority does however handle its own issues based on a democratic decision-making process where VKL acts as a powerful catalyst.

ABOUT VKLABOUT VKLVKL works to develop municipal self-government with plenty of latitude and strong civil support. We shall form a political arena for municipal and county council politics and promote and develop succesful co-operation between the members.

We have experienced and competent development strategists working in the following areas:

• Social welfare and healthcare• Learning and employment market• Child and youth issues• Social planning and infrastructure• Personnel development• County tourism

We also have an eminent Talking newspaper providing news for the visually handicapped in our county.

OUR PRINCIPAL WORKING AREASOUR PRINCIPAL WORKING AREAS

VKL AND POLITICSVKL AND POLITICSLocal Authority MeetingThe local authority meeting is the local authority’s highest decision-making body. Ordinary local authority meetings are held once a year, no later than the month of May. The representative for the local authority meeting is appointed by the members’ local and county councillors.

The boardThe board exercises leadership of the association’s operations, has supervision of its other bodies and manages the association’s property. The board is elected at the ordinary local authority meeting which takes place the year following the general election for the municipal and county councils.

VKL AND POLITICSVKL AND POLITICSThe board’s executive committee The board’s executive committee is composed of Elisabeth Unell (the Moderate Party) chairperson, Ulla Persson (the Swedish Social Democratic Party) deputy chairperson, Torsten Källberg (the Liberal Party of Sweden) deputy chairperson, Elizabeth Salomonsson (the Swedish Social Democratic Party), deputy chairperson.

VKL AND POLITICSVKL AND POLITICSCommitteesVKL has four committees which are composed of leading politicians from the members within each committee area. A prerequisite for the committees’ work is mutual information between the board and the committees. Each committee has eleven councillors, one elected by each member – municipality or county council.

The four committees are: • The Social Welfare Committee • The Learning and Employment Market Committee• The Child and Youth Committee• The Personnel Committee

VKL AND POLITICSVKL AND POLITICSCommitteesThe committees draw up proposals for their own plans of action which the board decides upon, and the board can continually give the committees assignments on current issues. The committees report back to the board. Co-operation between committees is essential since many matters cross boundaries within, for example, maintenance support, learning, the employment market and immigrant issues.

Every year the committees carry out one or two executive committee conferences within their subject-field.

VKL - EFFICIENCY THROUGH CO-OPERATION