The decision-making in the municipality is governed mainly by the Local Government Act (Kuntalaki, 410/2015) and the Administrative Procedure Act (Hallintolaki, 434/2003). In addition, the different administrative sectors have various separate provisions for their specific procedures in place.
In the City of Mikkeli, the highest power of decision is with the City Council of 51 members. The Council is elected by the residents every four years. The Council makes the decisions concerning any matters in Mikkeli and is responsible for the economy and operations of the municipality.
The Council appoints the City Board which is responsible for the practical aspects of local administration and financial management. The City Board manages the administration of the city and prepares the matters to be discussed in the City Council. It also supervises the interest of the city and represents the city.
The City Council makes the decisions concerning the arrangement of the municipal administration with the administrative regulations. The administrative regulations stipulate the basic structure, tasks and management systems of the elected officials and the personnel organisation. The city fees and charges can also be found in the collection of regulations.
Local authority committees, management boards and other decision-making bodies
The committees and management boards of the City of Mikkeli supervise and control the activities in their designated areas of responsibility. They also manage the planning, development and monitoring of operations, finances and organisation.
The Youth Council speaks for the youth, the Disability Council for the disabled, and the Older People’s Council represents the elderly. The school advisory committees manage cooperation with the schools.
In addition, numerous regional history associations, called kotiseutuyhdistys, operate in the city: the district associations mainly represent the residents of densely built areas, while the village committees cater to the residents of rural villages. The Long-term Holiday Inhabitants Delegation in the Mikkeli region has representatives from all municipalities in the region.