Law no. 139/2015 on Local Self-Government.

This Law regulates the organization and operation of local self-government units present on the territory of the Republic of Albania, as well as defines the functions, competences, interactions, rights and duties of such administrative units and their relevant bodies. The mission of local self-government in the Republic of Albania ensures effective, efficient and a level as close as possible to citizens through: a) recognition of the existence of different identities and values of communities; b) respecting the basic rights and freedoms of citizens, sanctioned in the Constitution or in other laws; c) choosing different types of services and other local public facilities in community benefit; d) the effective exercise of functions, competences and the realization of tasks by the bodies of local self-government; e) providing services in appropriate forms, based on the needs of the members community; f) effective promotion of the all-inclusive participation of the community in local government; g) the realization of services, in accordance with the standards required by law or other normative acts. The bodies of local self-government units will operate based on the principle of local autonomy. In their activity, the bodies of local self-government units respect and implement the national Constitution, among laws and by-laws. Local self-government units are public legal entities. Each municipality and district is a self-governing unit with programmed continuity.
This text is divided into fifteen major thematic Chapters and a total of 97 articles. Titles of these Chapters are as follows: I. General provisions; II. Local self-government units and bodies; III. Rights and responsibilities of units of local self-government; IV. Relations between the central government and local government units; V. Cooperation between local self-government units; VI. Transparency, consultation and civil participation; VII. Functions and competences of local self-government units; VIII. Finances of local self-government units; XI. Composition, creation, method of organization, competences and duties of the municipal council; X. Mayor; XI. Management and functioning of the administrative structures of the municipality; XII. Functioning of community structures in the municipality; XIII. Composition, creation, manner of the organization and powers of the council of the district; XIV. Administrative-territorial reorganization of local self-government; XV. Transitional and final provisions.
In the field of infrastructure and public services, municipalities are responsible for the following on their territory or jurisdiction: 1. Production, treatment, transmission and supply of drinking water; 2. Collection, removal and treatment of polluted water; 3. Collection and removal of rainwater and flood protection in residential areas; 4. Construction, rehabilitation and maintenance of local roads and road signaling, sidewalks and local public squares; 5. Lighting of public environments; 6. Local public transport; 7. Construction, rehabilitation and maintenance of public cemeteries, as well as service guarantee for public funerals; 8. The service of public décor; 9. Parks, flower gardens and public green spaces; 10. Collection, removal and treatment of solid and household waste; 11. Construction, rehabilitation and maintenance of educational buildings of the school system pre-university, with the exception of professional schools; 12. Administration and regulation of the preschool education system in kindergartens and nurseries; 13. Construction, rehabilitation and maintenance of primary health service buildings and the development of educational and promotional activities at the local level, which are related to health protection, as well as the administration of centers and other services in the field of public health, according to the purposes determined by state legislation; 14. Planning, administration, development and control of the territory, according to the manner established by relevant laws. The mayor and the headship of the village perform and support the self-governing functions of the municipality their village, as well as take care of local economic development, the use of common resources and ensuring social harmony. Based on the decision of the mayor, the mayor or the head of the village can also perform tasks as listed: a) care for the prevention of illegal interventions in the water supply network for drinking water and sewage of white water and dirty water, protective channels of the areas of residential areas, as well as the network of irrigation and drainage solution channels; b) care for the prevention of illegal interventions and any damage to roads, sidewalks and public squares in the village; c) administration of village cemeteries; d) caring for the preservation of forests and pastures, as well as natural resources.