Local Government
Services provided by local government include
education, culture, health, social welfare, road maintenance, public
parks, water and sanitation. Each local authority functions through
bylaws, complementing national laws, which have been approved by
the Ministry of the Interior. Some authorities operate special courts
in which transgressors of local bylaws are tried. Financing for
local authorities comes from local taxes as well as allocations from
the state budget. Every authority has a comptroller who prepares an
annual report.
The law recognizes three types of local
authorities: municipalities which provide the framework for urban
centers with populations of over 20,000; local councils which manage
towns with populations of between 2,000 and 20,000; and regional
councils which are responsible for several villages grouped within a
certain radius. Each local authority is administered by a mayor or
chairperson and a council. The number of council members is
determined by the Ministry of the Interior, according to the
authority's population. Currently there are 57 municipalities, 145
local councils and 55 regional councils.
All municipalities and local councils are united,
on a voluntary basis, in a central body, the Union of Local
Authorities, which represents them before the government, monitors
relevant legislation in the Knesset and provides guidance on issues
such as work agreements and legal affairs. Affiliated with the
International Association of Municipalities, the Union maintains ties
with like organizations throughout the world, arranges twin cities
programs and exchanges of international delegations.
Local Elections
Elections for local government are conducted by
secret ballot every five years. All permanent residents, whether
Israeli citizens or not, whose names appear on the voter registry of
a particular authority are eligible to vote in local elections from
age 18 and to be elected from age 21. In elections for municipal and
local councils, ballots are cast for a party list of candidates, with
the number of council seats attained by each list proportional to the
percentage of votes received. Mayors and chairpersons of local
councils are elected directly.
In regional council elections, one candidate in
each village is elected by simple plurality, with those elected
becoming members of the council. Heads of regional councils are
selected from among the regional council's members.
Local elections are financed by government
appropriations, on the basis of the number of mandates that each
faction or list wins in the local authority.
For further information:
Union of Local Authorities in Israel
Heftman 3, Tel Aviv 61200
Fax: 97236967447, Tel: 97236919241
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