Residents’ initiatives

A resident’s initiative is the most direct way to influence decision-making in the City of Turku. You can either propose your own initiative, or support and keep track of initiatives put forth by others. You can also initiate a municipal referendum.

Submitting a resident’s initiative

As a resident of a municipality, you have the right to propose initiatives on matters related to its activities. The municipality must inform the party proposing the initiative of any action taken in response to the proposal. In addition, the municipal council must be informed of the initiatives and the actions taken at least once a year.

Supporting and following other initiatives

You can also support and follow initiatives proposed by others in the online service for residents’ initiatives.

Referendum

You can initiate a municipal referendum in the same way as a resident’s initiative. You can submit an initiative to organise a referendum if five percent or more of the municipality’s eligible voters support it. The council must decide without delay whether to carry out the proposed referendum.

If you are a resident of Turku, you can submit residents’ initiatives.
Initiatives can also be submitted by:

• communities, institutions and foundations based in the municipality
• anyone who controls or owns immovable property located in the municipality
  People under the age of 18 can also submit residents’ initiatives.

Submitting a resident’s initiative in the online service

The easiest way to submit an initiative is to use the Kuntalaisaloite online service. You can also use the online service to vote for ongoing initiatives.

Alternatively, you can submit the initiative directly to the city’s registry office in paper form or by email

• Mark the initiative clearly with the word “initiative”
• Include your contact information
• Include your address so that your municipality of residence can be verified
  

  Do you need advice or guidance in preparing a resident’s initiative?

  Monitori at Market Square offers general advice and digital support for submitting residents’ initiatives.

An initiative usually concerns developing a service or tackling an issue at a general level. The competent municipal authority must consider the initiative as soon as possible. In all cases, the municipality must respond to the person who submitted the initiative and report on any measures taken as a consequence of it.

A minimum of five per cent of municipal residents eligible to vote can submit an initiative to organise a municipal referendum. If at least five per cent of the municipal residents eligible to vote jointly submit initiative to organise a municipal referendum, the council must decide without delay whether to hold a municipal referendum.