Local Government
The vast majority of the Icelandic population lives in the capital Reykjavík and surrounding towns or approximately 2/3 of the total population of little over 300.000. The smallest localities in Iceland have a population of only 100. The habitation of rural districts has been gradually decreasing from the beginning of this century.
The Association of Local Authorities in Iceland
The main principle of local government is autonomy. By law, municipalities have the right to manage their own affairs on their own responsibility.
In each locality there is a local council, elected by general suffrage. In the towns they are called the town council and in the rural districts the district council. The local council manages the affairs of the locality according to what is further provided for by law. Furthermore, councils have the power to decide the extent to which local sources of income are used, and the discharge of local functions insofar as they are not regulated by statutes. They ensure that legally prescribed local functions are properly discharged, and that the rules governing procedures in matters of local government are observed. The council may further pass resolutions in respect of any matter which in its opinion concerns the locality.
The local council is elected, in a general secret ballot, for a term of four years. In the more densely populated localities this is done on a limited proportional system, i.e. elections limited to lists of candidates. Candidates are then elected into office in accordance with the proportion of votes received by each list.
Persons entitled to vote in the local elections must have reached the age of 18 when the elections are held, be citizens of Iceland and have legal residence there. Furthermore, Danish, Finnish, Norwegian and Swedish nationals who meet the above conditions also have the franchise, provided they have been legally resident in Iceland for three years continuously. Anyone who has the franchise in a locality, and has not been deprived of his or her legal rights, is eligible for office as a member of the local council.
Locality councils make their decisions at meetings which are open to the public in towns. Standing committees, chosen by the locality council after each election to carry out prescribed functions, play a great role in the local government system, especially in the towns and larger districts. They deal with matters in the first instance and make recommendations to the full local council with whom the final decision lies.
Activities of Local Authorities
The functions of local authorities are provided for in various legislative acts. The most important are as follows:
Social welfare and health care. Social welfare is considered one of the major tasks of local authorities in Iceland. Among their duties in this field are aid for the aged and disabled, welfare of children, day-care centres and playgrounds, housing, etc. As far as health is concerned, local authorities are partly responsible for operation of health care centres and hospitals. Besides the service provided for by the local authorities, Iceland has a solid health and social security system operated on a State level, in some respects in close cooperation with the local authorities. This must be borne in mind when evaluating the services of the municipalities. Connected to welfare are the social housing schemes for buying or renting property. Matters relating to unemployment may also be mentioned, such as registration of the unemployed, employment reference services, and measures to prevent mass unemployment and poverty.
Education. Education constitutes one of the greatest responsibilities of the local authorities. Schooling is compulsory for children from the age of 6 to16. The central government is mainly responsible for the organization of the educational system. The main responsibilities of the local authorities in the case of primary, secondary and comprehensive schools is to elect members of school committees, and cover part of the capital costs of school buildings and operational expenses. The central government covers teachers' salaries and local authorities cover maintenance, heating, lighting and cleaning, while other items of expenditure are divided between the two bodies. Local authorities also have related responsibilities in the fields of adult education, music education, etc.
Culture, sports and outdoor activities. Local authorities are to a certain extent responsible for cultural affairs. This includes the operation of libraries, museums and cultural centres, and support for amateur associations for art and creative work. Many municipalities construct and operate sports facilities for indoor and outdoor sports, and recreational and other outdoor areas.
Infrastructure: By law, local authorities are responsible for much of the infrastructure, such as sewage, water supply, electric power and central heating systems.
In addition, mention should be made of issues concerning land-use planning and building construction, preparation of general plans and regional plans, implementation of building construction legislation, fire protection and supervision of preventive measures against fire, civil defence and security, waste collection and waste disposal, building and maintenance of buildings, including streets, roads and harbours, public transport, etc.
History of Local Government
The history of local authorities in Iceland dates back to the beginning of the tenth century, soon after the settlement. Grágás, the ancient law code of the Icelandic Commonwealth, contained several provisions relating to local authorities, their structure, powers and responsibilities. Among them was poor relief, which for centuries remained their main function. The provisions of the ancient law regarding insurance in case of fire and loss of livestock are in many ways unique. Under foreign rule, from 1262, the power of local authorities was greatly reduced by the central government. At the beginning of the nineteenth century, the ancient form of local self-government no longer existed. Local authorities were restored by the Royal Decree on Local Government of 4 May, 1872. They were based on the ancient communal districts (hreppar), not the ecclesiastical parishes as in England and the Scandinavian countries.
Source: Iceland - The Republic", Handbook published by the Central Bank of Iceland, ed. by Mr. Jóhannes Nordal and Mr. Valdimar Kristinsson, Reykjavik 1996. The Ministry is responsible for the adapted texts.
