Local governments in Tanzania include village councils, ward councils, district councils, town councils, municipal councils, and city councils. They are classified as either rural authorities, which include villages and districts, or urban authorities like towns, municipalities, and cities. Local governments are responsible for administrative functions and development programs within their jurisdiction, and their revenues come from sources like rents, grants, development levies, licenses, and fees.

1. Local governance
Classifications of Local Governments

2. Definition of terms
The Ward is a political and administrative structure from
which councilors are elected. Administratively, the
Ward functions under the Ward Executive Officer
(WEO). The WEO is competitively appointed by the
Council to control administrative functions at the Ward
level.
VEO is Village Executive Officer is the competitively
appointed by the village council to administer the
village.
MEO- Is Mtaa Executive Officer
DED- of thDistrict Executive Director is chief secretary e
district council.

3. Definition of related terms
• The Council is the supreme elective structure
which formulates and approves by-laws, the
budget and other development programs. It is
made up of councilors who are elected by the
citizens residing in the Wards. The council is a
body that promotes representative democracy

4. Definition of terms
• Local government can be defined as government
administers a specific area such as village, towns,
or districts mostly through area’s inhabitant’s
representatives.
• Local Governments are the level of government
that are closest to the people and therefore
responsible for serving the political and material
needs of people and communities at a specific
area it can be city council, municipal, town,
district or village.

5. Local governments
• Maddick (1963) defines local government as a
sub-unit of government controlled by a local
council which is authorized by the central
government to pass ordinances having a local
application, levy taxes or exact labor and within
limit specified by the central government, vary
centrally decided policy in applying it locally.
• Local government- is an administrative body for a
small geographic area, such as a city, town,
county, or state

6. Classifications of LGAs
i. Urban authorities - these are responsible for the
administration and development of urban areas.
 They range from townships, municipalities and
cities.
ii. Rural authorities – these are commonly known
as District Councils. They include district
councils, ward and village/mitaa councils.

7. The objectives and functions of the
urban authorities
• facilitating the maintenance of peace, order
and good governance;
• promoting the social welfare and economic
well-being of the local community.
• further the social and economic development
of their areas
• take the necessary measures for the
suppression of crimes and protection of public
and private property;

8. The objectives and functions of urban
authorities
• regulate and improve agriculture, trade,
commerce and industry
• further and enhance health, education, and
the social, cultural and recreational life or of
the people
• eradicate poverty etc

9. The district council
• It is sometimes called the rural council
(authorities)
• These are the authorities formed under Local
Government (District Authorities) Act no 7 of
1982. This act is responsible for the
administration and development of rural
authorities such as villages
• (composition -edit ) add….

10. Composition
• The district council is composed of
• Elected members or councilors ,one from each
ward in the district.
• MPs in the district
• A chairperson who is assisted by vice
chairperson heads a district council

11. The district council
• The chief executive of the council is the
district Executive Director(DED)
• The chairperson and vice chairperson of the
council are elected by councilors among
themselves
• Village government and district councils falls
under district authority

12. The ward council
• A ward is an administrative sub-division
between the village and the district
• At the ward level there is Ward Development
Committee (WDC) which is established by
Local Government (District authorities) Act of
1982 as amended by Act NO. 6. of 1999

13. The village government
• Village is the smallest local government unit. It
has village council and a village assembly.
• The village council is the executive arm of the
village assembly. A village chairperson who
assisted by village secretary heads it. Village
assembly consisting of all persons aged 18 and
above

14. Functions and roles of the village
council
a.Planning and coordinating activities
b.Rendering assistance and advice to the
villagers engaging in agriculture, forestry,
industrial or any other activity.
c. Encourage village residents to undertake and
participate in communal activities.

15. Functions and roles of the village
council
d. Also to propose by-laws in the function of the
village council done by the village assembly.
e. To maintain peace, order and good
governance
f. To promote social welfare and economic well-
being of its people, furtherance of social and
economic development in its area

16. Committees of the village government
These committees are:
Finance, economic and planning committee
Social service committee
Defense and security committee
Village committees cover matter such as
planning, finance, economic affairs, social
services, security, forest protection, water
resources etc

17. The councilors
• Who are the councilors ?
• What are their responsibilities?

18. Responsibilities of the councilors
• To make decisions on the objectives of their
authorities and plan to attain them.eg approve
annual budget and make by- laws.
• To direct and control the affairs of local
government in their authorities
• To review periodically, and mainly through
standing committee of their authorities ,progress
and performance of the development programs
to provide essential services

19. Town council
• Composition: Members (councilors)elected from each
ward in respective town
• MPs of the constituency in the town
• National MPs residing in town
• A chair person who assisted by vice –chairperson
heads each council. Members from among elected
councilors elect both the chairperson and vice –
chairperson. The chairperson holds office for a term of
five years.
• The chief executive of the town council is the Town
Director (TD).The TD is the secretary to the council but
he has no voting rights at any councils meeting

20. Municipal Council
• Municipalities are towns that have population
over 80,000 residents each.
• Members that form the municipal council are
the councilors ,MPs of constituency in the
municipal and National MPs residing in the
municipality

21. Municipal council
• A mayor who is assisted by a deputy mayor
heads a municipal council. The members elect
both the mayor and the deputy mayor among
the elected councilors . like a town council
,the municipal has a municipal Director who
serves as chief executive and secretary to the
council

22. City Council
• Dar es salaam,Mwanza,Arusha,Tanga and
mbeya cities Tanzania has.
• Members of city council:
• Electected members(councilors) from each
ward in the city
• MPs from parliamentary constituencies in the
city.
• National MPs residing in the city

23. Revenue collection
• local government has to pay their employees’
salaries and benefits. They have also to pay for
services they offer. In order to meet their
expenditures, local government are
empowered to raise revenue

24. Sources for Local government
revenues
• Rent
• Grants
• Development levy
• License including liquor, road
• Charges for council services
• Fines
• Fees i.e. taxi registration, bus stands, forestry
products, valuation, scaffolding, inoculation and
ambulance

25. How local government spend their
finances?
• Pay their employee salaries
• Pay for services which they offer, such are
• Establishing, maintaining and controlling
drainage and sewage system
• Building and maintaining schools and health
centers
• Meet daily expenses and emergencies