Finnmark County Municipality

Finnmark County Municipality is the regional governing administration of Finnmark county in northern Norway. It was temporarily dissolved from 2020-2023 when Finnmark county was merged into Troms og Finnmark county, but that was undone effective 1 January 2024. The administration in the town of Vadsø and was led by a county council.

County government
The county municipality's most important tasks include secondary education, recreation (sports and outdoor life), and cultural heritage. The county municipality is also responsible for all county roads (including ferry operations) and public transport (including school busses). The county municipality has further responsibility for regional land-use planning, business development, power production, and environmental management. The county also has responsibility for providing dental health services (in 2002, responsibility for hospitals and public medicine was transferred from the counties to the new regional health authorities).

County mayors
The county mayor (fylkesordfører) of Finnmark (incomplete list):


 * 1964-1975: Henry Karlsen (Ap)
 * 1975-1975: Axel Samuelsberg (Ap)
 * 1976-1983: Arnulf Olsen (Ap)
 * 1984-1987: Helmer Mikkelsen (Ap)
 * 1986-1987: Oddny Aleksandersen - acting (Ap)
 * 1988-1995: Erling Fløtten (Ap)
 * 1995-2003: Evy-Ann Midttun (Ap)
 * 2003-2005: Helga Pedersen (Ap)
 * 2005-2007: Kirsti Saxi (SV)
 * 2007-2015: Runar Sjåstad (Ap)
 * 2015-2019: Ragnhild Vassvik Kalstad (Ap)
 * (2020-2023: none - Finnmark was part of the Troms og Finnmark County Municipality)
 * 2024-present: Kristina Torbergsen (Ap)

County council
The county council (Fylkestinget) is made up of 35 representatives that are elected by direct election by all legal residents of the county every fourth year. The council is the legislative body for the county. The county council typically meets about six times a year. Council members are divided into standing committees and an executive committee (fylkesutvalg), which meet considerably more often.

Both the council and executive committee (with at least 5 members) are led by the county mayor (fylkesordfører). The executive committee carries out the executive funitons of the county under the direction of the whole council. The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by political party.