Who runs local government in Georgia?

Georgia has a single tier of 64 municipalities under government control: 5 self-governing cities (Tbilisi, Kutaisi, Rustavi, Poti, Batumi) and 59 self-governing communities. Mayors and councils (sakrebulo) are directly elected every four years; the most recent local elections were on 4 October 2025. Adjara is an autonomous republic with its own Supreme Council, while Abkhazia and South Ossetia are outside the control of the Georgian government.

Georgia · Unitary republic (parliamentary) · Caucasus

The levels of government below the nation

Level	How it is chosen	What it does
Autonomous Republic of Adjara	Supreme Council (21 members) directly elected; head of the Adjara government nominated at national level and approved by the Supreme Council	Autonomous powers in economy, health, education and culture; contains 5 municipalities and the city of Batumi.
Abkhazia and South Ossetia (Tskhinvali region)	Not under the control of the Georgian government; Georgia keeps legal structures in exile	Russia recognised both as independent in 2008; most UN members regard them as part of Georgia.
Administrative regions – mkhare (9)	State trustee (governor) appointed by the government	Represents central government; chairs a Regional Advisory Council of mayors and council chairs.
Municipalities (64: 5 cities, 59 communities)	Mayor directly elected (needs over 50%, otherwise a run-off); sakrebulo elected by a mixed proportional and majoritarian system for four years	Local roads, water, waste, kindergartens, planning, local property, municipal budget.
Administrative units inside municipalities	Mayor's representative appointed by the mayor	Link between villages and the municipal hall.

Three questions about local power in Georgia

Are local leaders elected?

Mayors and sakrebulo members are directly elected. Sakrebulo chairs are elected by the councils. State trustees and the mayor's village representatives are appointed.

Which laws set up local government?

The Constitution (Chapter VII), the Organic Law – Local Self-Government Code (2014, amended several times in 2025–2026) and the Election Code. Church influence and elders' mediation are informal.

Who are local leaders accountable to?

Voters choose mayors and councils; the sakrebulo oversees the mayor; the Ministry of Justice and other state bodies supervise legality and delegated tasks; courts can review acts.

Traditional and customary authority

There is no customary authority in law. The Constitution recognises the outstanding role of the Georgian Orthodox Church in the country's history, and the Church is highly influential socially, but it has no formal local power. In some mountain and minority areas, elders are respected informal mediators.

Community and neighbourhood power

The Local Self-Government Code lists formal ways for citizens to take part: a general assembly of a settlement (a meeting of residents that can choose a representative and send petitions), petitions signed by at least 1% of voters, a council of civil advisers to the mayor, and the right to attend sakrebulo sessions and hear reports from the mayor and councillors.

Points to know

Tbilisi's sakrebulo has 50 members: 25 from single-seat districts and 25 from party lists, with a 4% threshold.
In 2017 the number of self-governing cities was cut from 12 to 5 and several municipalities were merged back.
Tbilisi holds about a third of Georgia's people and is split into 10 districts run by officials appointed by the mayor.
The Election Code says Tbilisi council elections cannot be held during a state of emergency or martial law.

Local terms

Sakrebulo: Elected municipal council.
Mkhare: Administrative region run by an appointed state trustee.
General assembly of a settlement: Formal meeting of a village's or neighbourhood's residents.

Sources

Constitution of Georgia (1995, rev. 2018), Constitute Project, checked 14 October 2026
Georgia: country profile (territorial organisation, responsibilities, finance), OECD–UCLG World Observatory on Subnational Government Finance and Investment (SNG-WOFI), checked 14 October 2026
Organic Law of Georgia – Local Self-Government Code (consolidated), Legislative Herald of Georgia (matsne.gov.ge), checked 14 October 2026
Election Code of Georgia (consolidated), Legislative Herald of Georgia (matsne.gov.ge), checked 14 October 2026