Agder County Council at a glance

Learn about the Norwegian political and civil organisation of public services, and Agder County Municipality's place in the governing system. You will also find an overview of our departments and their responsibilities.

Organisation, activities and services

The Norwegian political system is divided into three democratic levels: national (parliament/government), regional (counties), and local (municipalities). A county municipality (fylkeskommune) is a publicly elected body with specific responsibilities regarding public administration and service delivery within a Norwegian county.

The County Council (fylkesting) is the governing body of each county municipality and typically consists of 30 to 50 members (Agder has 49 councillors). Members are distributed among standing committees and an executive board (fylkesutvalg). The Chairperson of the County Council (fylkesordfører) leads both the council and the executive board.

Arne Thomassen (representing the Conservative Party) is the current Chairperson and County Mayor. He was elected for the 2019–2023 period and re-elected for 2023–2027.

The County Executive (fylkeskommunedirektør) is responsible for the administrative organisation, which consists of various departments managing county-level activities and services.

Tine Sundtoft is the current County Executive.

The County Governor (statsforvalteren) is not part of the County Council, but is located in each county on behalf of the Norwegian government. The County Governor represents the central government in every county, serving as a supervising authority over the county and municipality administrations.

County-level activities and services

  • The County Council’s main responsibilities are:
  • Education (e.g., upper secondary schools and vocational training)
  • Healthcare and social services (e.g., public dental clinics)
  • Industrial and business development (e.g., travel and tourism industry)
  • Regional planning (e.g., Regional Development Plan Agder 2030)
  • Transport and communications (e.g., county roads)
  • Cultural activities (including cultural and sporting arenas)
  • Heritage (including archaeology and the preservation of cultural heritage)

Agder County Municipality – leaders and departments:

Director of Education: Arly Hauge

  • Education and career guidance
  • Vocational training and apprenticeship
  • Admissions and student services
  • Pedagogical and psychological services

Director of Communication and Infrastructure: Inger Ann Fidjestøl

  • Strategy and mobility
  • Buildings and property
  • Road operations and maintenance
  • New road developments

Director of Economy and Management: Lise Solgaard

  • Organisational management and control
  • Payroll and accounting
  • Purchasing and procurement
  • Budgeting and financial planning

Director of Organisational Development and Dental Health: Knut Lindland

  • Document management and archiving
  • Legal support and information management
  • Communication
  • Human resources
  • Dental health

Director of Business, Culture, and Cultural Heritage: Kristin Tofte Andresen

  • Business support and entrepreneurship
  • Culture, sports, library, and the voluntary sector
  • Cultural heritage and cultural tourism