Public control and influence

There are several ways in which you can get access to information and public documents of the municipality. This is how you gain insight into specific issues and can engage in political debate.

Right of public access

According to the constitution, all Swedish citizens have access to all state and local public records and documents. This is the principle of publicity. All foreign citizens have, in principle, the same right. This right gives citizens the opportunity to ascertain facts and hold government authorities accountable for their actions. It also enables citizens to participate in political debate.

However, the individual citizen does not have access to all public records. Records can be classified as secret to protect others. Furthermore, records and documents are not accessible to the public until they are fully prepared and complete.

When a document is available for public access, citizens have the right to read it, and if desired, copies can be made at a small charge.

Open committee meetings

The Municipal Council has given permission to all municipal committees to hold their meetings open to the public. However, there are exceptions. If issues to be discussed are confidential due to the right of an individual, or if they concern the exercise of public authority (this is seldom the case), the meeting is closed to the public during that time. The committee may also discuss matters privately if the issue was not on the agenda beforehand or if it is not fully prepared. Apart from these exceptions, however, the greater part of all meetings is accessible to the public.

The Executive Committee announces its meetings in advance in the local weekly “Torsby Bladet” and on the municipal notice board. Other committees decide for themselves whether their meetings are to be open or closed and in what way, if open, they are to be announced.

Agendas and minutes of meetings available online

Minutes of the Municipal Council, the Municipal Executive Committee and other committee meetings are available on our website. You can find them alongside the agendas, which are accessible one week in advance of the meeting. All documents relevant for the agendas are published online and are also available in paper at our libraries.

Calendar of municipal meetings

Agendas and minutes

Torsby's libraries

Notice board

Torsby Municipality has one official notice board and its online at torsby.se/anslagstavla. All official notices that must be posted can be found there.

Torsby Nu Bulletin

Torsby's own information bulletin is distributed four times a year to all households and businesses in Torsby Municipality. Reading this magazine provides useful and up-to-date information about the municipality. You can read Torsby Nu online (in Swedish).

How to appeal against a decision

Decisions can be appealed against on different grounds: legal grounds or administrative grounds.

Determination of legality

It is possible to appeal against a decision with the aim to determine whether the decision was reached legally. Only residents and property owners in the municipality can appeal on these grounds. It must be done within three weeks after the decision was posted on the municipal notice board to the County administrative court in Karlstad.

Contact

Förvaltningsrätten Karlstad
Box 568
651 12 Karlstad

Besöksadress: Rådhuset Stora torget, 652 24 Karlstad
Tel: 054-14 85 00
E-post: forvaltningsrattenikarlstad@dom.se

Administrative appeal

Only the person(s) directly affected by a decision can appeal on administrative grounds against a decision. The appeal can be directed against either the legality or the fairness of the decision. Different kinds of municipal decisions, such as building permits or social services determinations, may be appealed against in this manner. The appeal must be made within three weeks to the municipal committee that is responsible for the decision. The committee then either reverses its decision or sends the appeal to the County administrative court for a ruling.