Regional councils of Chile (Spanish: consejos regionales) are collegiate public bodies with normative, decision-making, and oversight functions within the regional governments of Chile. They operate in each of the Regions of Chile and, together with the regional governor, form the regional government structure.
Regional councils ensure citizen participation in regional administration and exercise powers established by the Organic Constitutional Law on Government and Regional Administration (Law No. 19,175).
History Regional councils were created through a constitutional reform in 1991 and implemented by Law No. 19,175 in 1992.
Until 2013, regional councillors were indirectly elected by municipal councillors. Following a constitutional reform, councillors began to be elected by direct popular vote for four-year terms.
Since 2021, each regional council is chaired by the regional governor.
Composition The number of councillors in each region varies according to population:
14 councillors in regions with up to 400,000 inhabitants 16 councillors in regions with 400,001 to 800,000 inhabitants 20 councillors in regions with 800,001 to 1,500,000 inhabitants 28 councillors in regions with more than 1,500,000 inhabitants 34 councillors in the Metropolitan Region of Santiago
Councillors are elected by province or provincial constituency, with each province represented by at least two members.
Functions Regional councils exercise planning, regulatory, and oversight functions, including approving regional development plans and budgets; allocating regional investment funds; approving land-use planning instruments; supervising the regional governor and regional administration; approving regional tourism development plans; and issuing opinions on regional administrative changes.
Operation Regional councils operate through public ordinary and extraordinary sessions. Decisions are generally adopted by majority vote, subject to legal quorum requirements.
List of regional councils
Region Regional council Arica y Parinacota Regional Council of Arica and Parinacota Tarapacá Regional Council of Tarapacá Antofagasta Regional Council of Antofagasta Atacama Regional Council of Atacama Coquimbo Regional Council of Coquimbo Valparaíso Regional Council of Valparaíso Metropolitan Region of Santiago Metropolitan Regional Council of Santiago O'Higgins Regional Council of O'Higgins Maule Regional Council of Maule Ñuble Regional Council of Ñuble Biobío Regional Council of Biobío La Araucanía Regional Council of La Araucanía Los Ríos Regional Council of Los Ríos Los Lagos Regional Council of Los Lagos Aysén Regional Council of Aysén Magallanes and Chilean Antarctica Regional Council of Magallanes and Chilean Antarctica
See also Regional governments of Chile Regions of Chile
References