Local Government Local Government Services provided by local government include education, culture, health, social welfare, road maintenance, public parks, water and sanitation. Each local authority functions through by laws, complementing national laws, which have been approved by the Ministry of the Interior. Some authorities operate special courts in which transgressors of local by laws are tried. Financing for local authorities comes from local taxes as well as allocations from the state budget.
Every authority has a comptroller who prepares an annual report.
Each local authority is administered by a mayor or chairperson and a council. The number of council members is determined by the Ministry of the Interior, according to the authority's population. All municipalities and local councils are united, on a voluntary basis, in a central body, the Union of Local Authorities, which represents them before the government, monitors relevant legislation in the Knesset and provides guidance on issues such as work agreements and legal affairs. Affiliated with the International Association of Municipalities, the Union maintains ties with like organizations throughout the world, arranges twin cities programs and exchanges of international delegations. Local Elections Elections for local government are conducted by secret ballot every five years.