A Message from the Lord Mayor
Development in the Hands of the City Council
The Lord Mayor´s Sector
A Wide Range of Services
City Planning and Infrastructure
Municipal Business Enterprises and Technical Services
Finances
Brief facts about Helsinki

Under the division of powers between central and local government in Finland, municipalities enjoy autonomy in the administration of many of their affairs. Certain basic tasks are stipulated in the Local Government Act, and in addition to them municipalities may voluntarily assume others. The only way in which the tasks entrusted to municipalities can be altered is by amending the Local Government Act or related pieces of legislation.

The City Council

The most important decision-making body in Helsinki is the City Council, the 85 members of which are elected by direct popular vote every four years. The City Council elects its own Chair and two Deputy Chairs, the members of the City Board as well as the members of the various committees in proportion to the relative strengths of the various parties represented on it. The other main tasks of the City Council include deliberating budgets and balancing accounts, in addition to setting the general goals to be striven for by the City.

City Board, Lord Mayor and Deputy-Mayors

The City Board is responsible for
- administration and financial management
- preparatory processing of business to be dealt with by the City Council
- implementation of Council decisions
- examining the legality of Council decisions.

The fifteen members of the City Board are elected by the City Council for two-year terms and in proportion to the Council's political composition.
The Mayor and the four Deputy-Mayors are each responsible for distinct sectors of work and report to the City Board. They follow activities in their respective segments and oversee the implementation of decisions. They are also responsible for preparatory processing of business within their remits and for reporting to the City Board on these matters.