1. Local Government in Lithuania

2. The Republic of Lithuania Area: 65 000 km² Population: 3,5 million inhabitants. Density: 57 inhabitants per km² Capital-city: Vilnius

3. Administrative Organization A Unitary state Central government local offices : 10 counties (Apskritys) Only one tier of local government : 60 municipalities (Savivaldybes)

4. Local Government System Municipal council Mayor and deputy-mayor 60 municipalities Executive committeeMunicipal controllers

5. Local Government Law The 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania 1990 Act on local self-government (reformed in 2008) 1994 Act on local authorities and municipal council elections (reformed in 2000 and 2003) 1994 Act on local administrative units (creating municipalities and counties)

6. The Municipal council  It is the deliberative body Its members are directly elected for a four-year term on a proportional representation system It controls the implementation of laws and statutes It is responsible for law and order It protects the citizens’ rights and interests

7. The Executive body  The mayor, elected for a four-year term within the municipal council  The deputy-mayor, elected by the municipal council on the mayor’ proposal  The executive committee : members from the council The mayor prepares the agenda of the municipal council meetings that he/she chairs; he/she signs the minutes The deputy-mayor enacts the mayor’s instructions The executive committee manages the local authority

8. Local government control The municipal controller is appointed after national selection. He/she runs the municipal control department He/she is responsible for the financial audit of the budget that is assessed by the municipal council If the municipality has more than 30,000 inhabitants, an internal audit committee is set up Each county has one controller who administratively controls the municipalities

9. Local Government Responsibilities Two types of responsibilities since 2008 : Local authority’s own responsibilities Responsibilities delegated from central government

10. Human Resources 1999 Act on local government staff Management of the Civil Service : government, the minister in charge of the public service, the head of the local authority Status: public civil servants Public administration in Lithuania is being professionalized

11. Financial Means Own fiscal revenues Shared fiscal revenues Subsidies from the State Local loans

12. Expenditure Total local government expenditure: In 2001: 944 millions Euros In 2008: 1178 millions Euros The largest portion is dedicated to education The second largest portion is dedicated to social security