Vilnius - Governance

Governance

The city is governed by the Vilnius City Municipality, which includes the nearby town of Grigiškės, three villages, and some rural areas. A 51-member council is elected to four-year terms; the candidates are nominated by registered political parties. As of the 2011 elections, independent candidates also were permitted. The Council elects a mayor, four deputy mayors, and a city clerk at its first meeting. As of April 2011, the mayor of Vilnius is Artūras Zuokas, whose coalition of independent candidates won 12 seats in the Council.Other prominent members of the Council include Žydrūnas Savickas, crowned as the world’s strongest man in numerous occasions, Rūta Vanagaitė, director of the Soviet Bunker project, and Darius Maskoliūnas, ex head coach coach of BC Žalgiris and current coach of BC Lietuvos Rytas.

Elderships, a state-wide administrative division, function as municipal districts. The 21 elderships are based on neighbourhoods:

1. Verkiai — includes Baltupiai, Jeruzalė, Santariškės, Balsiai, Visoriai
2. Antakalnis — includes Valakampiai, Turniškės, Dvarčionys
3. Pašilaičiai — includes Tarandė
4. Fabijoniškės — includes Bajorai
5. Pilaitė
6. Justiniškės
7. Viršuliškės
8. Šeškinė
9. Šnipiškės
10. Žirmūnai — includes Šiaurės miestelis
11. Karoliniškės
12. Žvėrynas
13. Grigiškės — a separate town included in the Vilnius city municipality
14. Lazdynai
15. Vilkpėdė — includes Vingis Park
16. Naujamiestis — includes bus and train stations
17. Senamiestis (Old Town) — includes Užupis
18. Naujoji Vilnia — includes Pavilnys, Pūčkoriai
19. Paneriai — includes Trakų Vokė, Gariūnai
20. Naujininkai — includes Kirtimai, Salininkai, Vilnius International Airport
21. Rasos — includes Belmontas, Markučiai