Sogn og Fjordane County Municipality

Sogn og Fjordane County Municipality (Norwegian: Sogn og Fjordane fylkeskommune) was the regional governing administration of the old Sogn og Fjordane county in Norway. The county municipality was established in its current form on 1 January 1976 when the law was changed to allow elected county councils in Norway. The county municipality was dissolved on 1 January 2020, when Sogn og Fjordane was merged with the neighboring Hordaland county, creating the new Vestland county which is led by the Vestland County Municipality.

Sogn og Fjordane County Municipality
Sogn og Fjordane fylkeskommune
Coat of arms of Sogn og Fjordane County Municipality
Location in Norway
Location in Norway
Coordinates: 61°13′51″N 06°47′23″E / 61.23083°N 6.78972°E / 61.23083; 6.78972
CountryNorway
Disestablished1 Jan 2020
Administrative centerLeikanger
Government
 • County mayorJenny Følling
ISO 3166 codeNO-14
Schools12
Pupils4,500
Websitewww.sfj.no

The main responsibilities of the county municipality included the running of 12 upper secondary schools with 4,500 pupils.[1] It also administrates the county roadways, public transport, dental care, culture, and cultural heritage.[2]

County Government

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The Sogn og Fjordane county council (Norwegian: Fylkestinget) is made up of 31 representatives that were elected every four years. The council essentially acted as a Parliament or legislative body for the county and it met several times each year. The council is divided into standing committees and an executive board (fylkesutvalg) which meet considerably more often. Both the council and executive board are led by the County Mayor (fylkesordfører) who held the executive powers of the county. Jenny Følling of the Centre Party was the last County Mayor.[3]

County council

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The party breakdown of the council is as follows:

Sogn og Fjordane fylkesting 2015–2019 [4]  
Party name (in Nynorsk) Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) 9
  Progress Party (Framstegspartiet) 2
  Green Party (Miljøpartiet Dei Grøne) 1
  Conservative Party (Høgre) 4
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristeleg Folkeparti) 2
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 10
  Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) 1
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 2
Total number of members:31
Sogn og Fjordane fylkesting 2012–2015 [4]  
Party name (in Nynorsk) Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) 11
  Progress Party (Framstegspartiet) 3
  Conservative Party (Høgre) 7
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristeleg Folkeparti) 3
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 10
  Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) 2
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 3
Total number of members:39
Sogn og Fjordane fylkesting 2008–2011 [4]  
Party name (in Nynorsk) Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) 11
  Progress Party (Framstegspartiet) 4
  Conservative Party (Høgre) 5
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristeleg Folkeparti) 3
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 11
  Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) 2
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 3
Total number of members:39
Sogn og Fjordane fylkesting 2004–2007 [4]  
Party name (in Nynorsk) Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) 10
  Progress Party (Framstegspartiet) 3
  Conservative Party (Høgre) 4
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristeleg Folkeparti) 3
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 12
  Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) 3
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 4
Total number of members:39
Sogn og Fjordane fylkesting 2000–2003 [4]  
Party name (in Nynorsk) Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) 10
  Progress Party (Framstegspartiet) 2
  Conservative Party (Høgre) 6
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristeleg Folkeparti) 5
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 10
  Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) 2
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 4
Total number of members:39
Sogn og Fjordane fylkesting 1996–1999 [4]  
Party name (in Nynorsk) Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) 11
  Progress Party (Framstegspartiet) 2
  Conservative Party (Høgre) 5
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristeleg Folkeparti) 4
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 10
  Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) 2
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 5
Total number of members:39
Sogn og Fjordane fylkesting 1992–1995 [4]  
Party name (in Nynorsk) Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) 10
  Progress Party (Framstegspartiet) 1
  Conservative Party (Høgre) 6
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristeleg Folkeparti) 4
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 10
  Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) 4
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 4
Total number of members:39
Sogn og Fjordane fylkesting 1988–1991 [4]  
Party name (in Nynorsk) Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) 12
  Progress Party (Framstegspartiet) 2
  Conservative Party (Høgre) 8
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristeleg Folkeparti) 5
  Red Electoral Alliance (Raud Valallianse) 1
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 6
  Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) 2
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 3
Total number of members:39
Sogn og Fjordane fylkesting 1984–1987 [4]  
Party name (in Nynorsk) Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) 13
  Progress Party (Framstegspartiet) 1
  Conservative Party (Høgre) 8
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristeleg Folkeparti) 5
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 7
  Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) 2
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 3
Total number of members:39
Sogn og Fjordane fylkesting 1980–1983 [4]  
Party name (in Nynorsk) Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) 10
  Conservative Party (Høgre) 8
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristeleg Folkeparti) 6
  Liberal People's Party (Liberale Folkepartiet) 1
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 8
  Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) 1
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 3
Total number of members:37
Sogn og Fjordane fylkesting 1976–1979 [4]  
Party name (in Nynorsk) Number of
representatives
  Labour Party (Arbeidarpartiet) 8
  Conservative Party (Høgre) 6
  Christian Democratic Party (Kristeleg Folkeparti) 5
  New People's Party (Nye Folkepartiet) 2
  Centre Party (Senterpartiet) 7
  Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti) 2
  Liberal Party (Venstre) 2
 Non-party lists (Upolitiske lister)5
Total number of members:37

Regional reform 2020

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In 2020, Sogn og Fjordane merged with neighbouring Hordaland to form Vestland county municipality. The merger was part of a larger reform in local and regional administration initiated by the national government, which will see the number of county municipalities fall from 19 to 11.[5]

Location

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The administrative seat was located at the village of Leikanger in Leikanger municipality where all of the county offices are located except for the cultural division, which is located in the town of Førde. Tore Eriksen is chief-of-administration.[6] Traditionally, the county administration was said to be in the village of Hermansverk, which was regarded as the administrative seat, but Hermansverk and the neighboring village of Leikanger have grown together and form one large village, and now the administrative seat is said to be Leikanger even though the buildings are still in the same place.

Transport

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Leikanger with the county administration buildings visible

The county previously owned the transportation company Fylkesbaatane i Sogn og Fjordane, which operated ferry services throughout the county. In 2001, Fylkesbaatane merged with the Møre og Romsdal County Municipality-owned Møre og Romsdal Fylkesbåtar to create the new company Fjord1, of which Sogn og Fjordane County Municipality remains a majority shareholder.

References

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  1. ^ "Opplæring, Vidaregåande skular" (in Norwegian). Sogn og Fjordane County Municipality. Retrieved 12 June 2019.
  2. ^ "In English". Sogn og Fjordane County Municipality. Retrieved 12 June 2019.
  3. ^ "Fylkestinget" (in Norwegian). Sogn og Fjordane County Municipality. Retrieved 12 June 2019.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Are Tvedt, Knut; Tjørnhaugen, Andreas, eds. (18 September 2019). "valgresultater fylkesting 1975-2015 - Sogn og Fjordane". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Kunnskapsforlaget. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
  5. ^ "In English". Sogn og Fjordane County Municipality. Retrieved 12 June 2019.
  6. ^ "Administrativ leiing" (in Norwegian). Sogn og Fjordane County Municipality. Retrieved 12 June 2019.