Local Self-Government and Administrative-Territorial Division
The two levels
Bulgaria's administrative-territorial structure has two levels: the municipality (община) and the region (област). Municipalities are the basic unit of local self-government; regions are a deconcentrated state administration level. There are 28 regions (области) and 265 municipalities, with Sofia having a special status as both a municipality and a region (Sofia-grad).
Local self-government
Municipal self-government is exercised by the municipal council (общински съвет), elected for four years, and the mayor (кмет). The mayor is elected directly for a four-year term and heads the municipal administration. Mayors of municipalities that are not regional centres are also elected directly; in some cases a mayor's mandate can be terminated early by the municipal council on defined grounds. The municipal council adopts the budget, local taxes, and regulations. Regional governors (областни управители) are appointed by the Council of Ministers and represent the state in the region; they do not form a local self-government body.
Competences and finance
Municipalities manage local services: education (schools), healthcare (polyclinics), water supply, waste, local roads, and cultural institutions. They have own revenue (local taxes and fees) and receive state transfers. The principle of subsidiarity and the European Charter of Local Self-Government underpin the system.
Traps and rule of thumb
Traps: treating the regional governor as elected (they are appointed); confusing the municipal council (legislative local body) with the mayor (executive); and assuming Sofia is only a municipality. Rule of thumb: two levels, two logics - municipality = elected self-government, region = appointed state administration.