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History
・(National) Swedish Association of Local Authorities (SALA) was founded in 1968
・It was a merger of previously existing similar associations - two groups; one association of cities, one of other municipalities (excluding cities).
・(National) Federation of Swedish County Councils (FSCC) - founded in 1920
・Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions (SALAR) is a merger of the two organisation above. The merger takes place 2005-2007
Purpose, organisation - as of today
・Two roles
- expert organisation to service members
- employers' organisation responsible for centrally negotiated labour market agreements
・During the 1990's the organization's work also came to consist more of lobbyism than work with guidelines etc.
Relation between municipalities and government
・Dialogue and negotiations between local and central government sector mainly involves the central/national associations (SALA, FSCC).
・Dialogue between municipalities and county councils mostly takes place on national level within the central/national associations (SALA, FSCC). Yet, all municipalities and county councils are free to engage in cooperation and dialogue without central involvement.
・However, larger (or groups of) municipalities or county councils may occasionally try to influence other governmental bodies (central/local). This generally also would take place within the central/national associations (SALA, FSCC) or through the political parties (i.e. local interests influence national political parties - parliament groups or the government).
・Dialogue / negotiations between lone local authorities and central government only occurs seldom
Other Organizations
・Other Associations of Local Authorities:
- 23 regional local government associations (kommunförbund) - focus on regional matters and similar to national (Swedish) Association of Local Authorities.
- some 60 local/regional associations (kommunalforbund) - focus on specific activities/operations
・"kommunalförbund"; "Statutory joint authority - local government body with its own legal existence, comprising councillors nominated by a number of local authorities. Such authorities are normally created to facilitate closer co-operation among neighbouring local authorities in one or more specific fields of operation, e.g. procurement."
Local tax system
・SALAR is satisfied with present tax base
- Labour income is the largest tax base
- Relative small regional differences
- Less vulnerable for internationalization, and economic trends
- Connection to the development of expenditure - municipal wages
・SALAR would like to adjust the present tax base
- Reduce tax deductions
- Reduce the amount of activities
Equalization system
・All the political parties in board of the Swedish association of local authorities agree about the need of a equalization system
・The divergence deals with the level of and the content of equalization
・SALA can not - as an organization which represent all municipalities - support some type of municipality
Company taxation
・Local government (municipal) revenue from companies stems from fees; revenue from fees approximately cover costs involved with direct services to companies
・No local government company taxation exists; difficulty in deciding where to levy such a tax - company head office or where municipal service is executed; also striking asymmetry in the geographic distribution of companies across the country (regions, municipalities)
Annual calculation and decisions
・State budget in middle of September assign the amounts of grants. Decision in the parliament at the end of November
・Latest the 1 of October Statistics Sweden show the result of a first preliminary calculation
・At the end of December Statistics Sweden show the definitive calculation and inform the National tax board of the results
・Latest the 10 of January National tax board inform the municipalities of their decision
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