Municipalities (общини, obshtini) constitute the second and lowest administrative level in Bulgaria, with 265 municipalities operating across the country. Each municipality is governed by an elected municipal council and mayor, who serve four-year terms. Municipalities hold responsibility for local governance matters including primary and secondary education, healthcare facilities, public transportation, water supply, waste management, spatial planning, and maintenance of municipal roads and public spaces. They manage local budgets derived from both own-source revenues and transfers from the central government. Municipalities also maintain civil registries, issue various permits and licenses, and provide social services to residents. The territory of each municipality typically encompasses one or more towns and villages, with larger cities often forming single-settlement municipalities. This administrative structure, established following the democratic transition in the 1990s, reflects a balance between local autonomy and national oversight in Bulgaria's unitary state system.