The local governments of Israel , are the set of bodies charged with providing services such as urban planning

Urban planning

Urban planning incorporates areas such as economics, design, ecology, sociology, geography, law, political science, and statistics to guide and ensure the orderly development of settlements and communities....

, zoning

Zoning

Zoning is a device of land use planning used by local governments in most developed countries. The word is derived from the practice of designating permitted uses of land based on mapped zones which separate one set of land uses from another...

, and the provision of drinking water

Drinking water

Drinking water or potable water is water pure enough to be consumed or used with low risk of immediate or long term harm. In most developed countries, the water supplied to households, commerce and industry is all of drinking water standard, even though only a very small proportion is actually...

 and emergency services, as well as education

Education

Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...

 and culture

Culture

Culture is a term that has many different inter-related meanings. For example, in 1952, Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn compiled a list of 164 definitions of "culture" in Culture: A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions...

, as per guidelines of the Interior Ministry

Israeli Ministry of Interior

The Ministry of Interior in the State of Israel is one of Government offices that is responsible for local rule, citizenship and residency, identity cards , and student and entry visas.- Responsibility fields :...

 for communities of all sizes in the country. Almost all local governments take one of three forms: city councils

City council (Israel)

A City council is the official designation of a city within Israel's system of local government.City council status may be granted by the Interior Minister to a municipality, usually a local council, whose population surpasses 20,000 and whose character is urban, defined as having areas zoned for...

, which governs a large municipality, local councils

Local council (Israel)

Local councils are one of the three types of local government found in Israel, with the other two being cities and regional councils. As of 2003, there were 144 local councils in Israel, these being settlements which pass a minimum threshold enough to justify their operations as independent...

, which governs a small municipality, and regional councils

Regional council (Israel)

Regional councils are one of the three types of local government entities found in Israel, with the other two being cities and local councils. As of 2003, there were 53 regional councils in Israel, usually responsible for governing a number of settlements spread across rural areas...

, which governs a group of communities, often but not necessarily of a rural nature.

Local governments appoint a head, or mayor

Mayor

In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....

, who is selected through a process of democratic elections along with his fellow council members. If a council's operation is impeded by a severe financial crisis, the Interior Minister may dissolve it, fire the council head, and appoint a special commission to operate the council until normalisation. Councils may enact bylaw

Bylaw

By-law can refer to a law of local or limited application passed under the authority of a higher law specifying what things may be regulated by the by-law...

s for improvement of the residents' quality of life

Quality of life

The term quality of life is used to evaluate the general well-being of individuals and societies. The term is used in a wide range of contexts, including the fields of international development, healthcare, and politics. Quality of life should not be confused with the concept of standard of...

, and in addition to the levy of direct tax

Direct tax

The term direct tax generally means a tax paid directly to the government by the persons on whom it is imposed.-General meaning:In the general sense, a direct tax is one paid directly to the government by the persons on whom it is imposed...

es, are allocated funds from the national government via the Interior Ministry. City and local councils are united in the framework of the "Centre for Local Government in Israel", founded in 1938, while regional councils are organised in a separate body.

Roles

Local authorities are responsible for providing citizens, firms, and institutions within its jurisdiction with a number of services:

• Physical infrastructure
  • Road system
  • Water supply
  • Refuse collection and disposal
  • Sewage systems
  • Parks
• Environmental protection
  • Public health
  • Nuisances
  • Cleanliness
• Education (joint responsibility with Ministry of Education)
  • Education
    • Construction of schools
    • Provision of equipment
    • Maintenance
• Culture & Sports (financial support and promotion)
  • Libraries
  • Museums
  • Youth clubs
  • Orchestras
  • Theaters
  • Sport facilities
• Social welfare
  • Families in need,
  • Special groups such as the elderly, retarded children, drug addicts

Other abilities and responsibilities

Local councils in particular have an important role in ensuring the principles put forward in the The Planning and Building Law, 5725-1965, are adhered to. The district planning commission is a joint state-local authority which approves detailed local plans and acts as a forum for handling appeals of decisions. The local council is also authorized to issue by-laws in every area in which it has jurisdiction and has the power to enforce these laws as well as the laws and regulations applicable to its functions. Furthermore local authorities are allowed to levy local taxes and collect various payments for services and concessions. They prepare their own budgets, although these then must be approved by the Ministry of the Interior.