The City of Kajaani creates a foundation for its residents to lead a good life. Together with its municipal enterprises, the City provides its residents with basic services, such as children’s day care, basic education, library services, museums and the Adult Education Centre. The City and its municipal enterprises are also in charge of zoning, land use planning and implementation and take care of roads, streets, parks, water supply and sewerage. In Kainuu, social welfare and health care services are provided by the Kainuu Social and Health Care Joint Authority.
Kajaani’s administration prepares matters openly, which guarantees residents the possibility of influencing how they are implemented. The decision-makers for the municipalities are elected every four years in local elections. Local elections give residents the opportunity to vote for the representative of their choice for the municipalities’ decision-making bodies. Above all, local elections are a way to promote grass-roots democracy, with residents electing the decision-makers who most closely represent their everyday lives.