History of the local government

From Seventeenth Century to the Present
Göteborg has functioned as an urban centre with a civic organization and local government, whose purpose has been to care for the welfare of its inhabitants, for 375 years.

The administration of the city consisted at first of an advisory council, the "Magistraten" (body of borough administrators). The "Magistraten" was not only responsible for the administration of Göteborg's affairs but also for the administration of justice through the town court. The "Magistraten" was responsible for such activities as representing Göteborg in negotiations with the State and the authorities of other towns, controlling commerce and industry, town planning and cleaning as well as maintaining law and order.

The Office of the Governor of Göteborg was established in 1719 and the Governor, who was appointed by the King, became the Chairman of the "Magistraten".

The Nineteenth Century
The boards and administrations of the municipality and their activities continued to develop successively over the centuries. The most important milestone in the governmental development, as well as that of other municipalities, was the passing of the Local Government Ordinances of 1862.

These statutes contained a special ordinance by which the City Council became the City's supreme decision-making body. The role of the "Magistraten" changed from that of a decision-making body to an administrative organization. The city of Göteborg became a separate municipality with the right to determine its own affairs.

Prior to 1863, the municipalities´ predecessors only had the right to deal with matters which were specified in statutes and ordinances. Now municipalities had the authority to undertake activities which were beneficial to the common needs of their inhabitants. In Göteborg a much higher degree of decentralization of administration and management of the City was put into practice than in any other city in Sweden.

The Twentieth Century
Since the time of the city's foundation, local government has developed into the administrative organization of today, which provides services to more than 450 000 inhabitants and a great number of businesses.

The current municipal organization is regulated by the Local Government Act of 1991, which stipulates the rights and authority of municipalities.

Confronting the Year 2000 and beyond
The City of Göteborg's organization is currently undergoing a series of changes. The City's elected representatives are working to maintain standards of quality - within the shrinking parameters of the City's economy - which the inhabitants of Göteborg expect and to which they are entitled.

The implementation of the "city district reform" constitutes the most important change the City has ever made to its organization. The main purpose of the reform is to improve the efficiency of the organization and to strengthen the inhabitants´ influence on the City's undertakings.