The City Council, which is elected by the city’s residents, exercises the highest authority in the city.

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The City Council is elected for a four-year term in the municipal elections taking place every four years. During the 2025–2029 term, the City Council has a total of 67 city councillors. To carry out their work, the councillors form groups. Turku City Council currently has a total of 9 such groups.

The council is responsible for making decisions on the city’s activities and finances. The council decides on other city bodies, such as committees and their members. The council also decides on the division of duties between elected officials and office holders.

The public can follow council meetings from the gallery, as live video broadcasts, and as video recordings published after the meetings. 

Chairs and Secretary

  • Chair of the City Council: Kaija Hartiala (National Coalition Party)
  • First Vice Chair of the City Council:  Mari Lahti (Social Democratic Party)
  • Second Vice Chair of the City Council: Niina Ratilainen (Green League)
  • Third Vice Chair of the City Council: Timo Furuholm (Left Alliance)
  • Fourth Vice Chair of the City Council: Nicke Wulff (Swedish People's Party of Finland)
  • City Council Secretary: City Secretary: Ari-Pekka Korhonen

Agendas and minutes

City Council agendas and minutes (in Finnish)

The revised minutes of the meetings are published on the second working day of the week following the meeting.

Meetings

Autumn meetings 2025
Spring meetings 2026

City Council's seminar
26.1.2026 at 12.00
20.4.2026 at 12.00

Video broadcast and recordings of meetings

Recordings of City Council's meetings

Members and City Council groups 2025–2029

Members

Members of the City Council

City Council groups

Duties of the City Council

The council is responsible for the activities and finances of the municipality, and it exercises the municipality’s decision-making power, as specified in the Local Government Act.

The City Council decides on the following:

  1. City Strategy
  2. Administrative Regulations
  3. budget and financial plan
  4. principles of ownership and corporate governance that apply to the local authority corporation
  5. goals for operations and finances of municipally owned companies
  6. principles for managing assets and investments
  7. principles for internal control and managing risks
  8. general principles for payments for services and other tasks
  9. providing a guarantee or other security for another party’s debt
  10. electing members to the decision-making bodies, unless stated otherwise
  11. principles concerning the financial benefits of elected officials
  12. appointment of auditors
  13. approval of financial statements and release from liability
  14. other matters that the local council is required to decide on.