Finally, the conclusion came to the table. Five men from the cooperative parties to the city council showed up in suits on Wednesday to say that they agree on which offers and services will be cut next year. But all was not entirely dark. They also had some “good news”. – We are moving for NOK 30 million. This means that we will maintain the emergency rooms in Loddefjord and Fana and reintroduce the artist and work grants, says negotiator Eivind Nævdal-Bolstad (H) to news. The budget agreement is to be adopted by Bergen city council next week. Negotiator Eivind Nævdal-Bolstad (H) presented the budget agreement for the city budget in Bergen 2025 on Wednesday. The agreement has been concluded between the Progress Party, the Center Party, the Bergen List, the Industrial and Business Party, the Pensioners’ Party and the Conservative Party. Photo: Leif Rune Løland / news How much does the city have to cut? Bergen is in a serious economic situation. The city council proposed cuts, streamlining and income changes totaling NOK 532 million in next year’s budget. Despite heavy cuts, the municipality would still have a deficit of NOK 478 million. After receiving more money from the government and the budget settlement in the Storting, the situation became easier. At the same time, the cooperative parties will save NOK 30 million from the planned cuts. They end up cutting almost NOK 300 million. They cannot get away from a deficit. Bergen municipality will have a net operating result of around minus NOK 263 million. What does that mean? This means that severe cuts will be implemented in the city budget in Bergen. And most of the cut proposals will remain. Residents who receive social assistance, have children in SFO or drive electric cars are among those who will feel the cuts next year. This is among the cuts that will be implemented: The rates for social assistance will be adjusted down to the same level as in Oslo. This means that the rates for single people without children go from NOK 9,415 a month to NOK 9,070 a month. It will be more expensive to go to preschool. The prices for a full-day place increase for first to third class from NOK 639 a month to NOK 817. The price for a full-time place for a fourth-grader ranges from NOK 3,114 to NOK 3,425. The ticket price for the ADO swimming facility will be increased. The electric car discount for parking in several garages in the city is removed. The discount for electric cars in residential zones will also be removed. The health center in Kringlebotn will be closed down. Trengereid nursery school in Arna is being closed down. There will be no changes in property tax. The Conservative Party went to the polls to cut the property tax. The party would halve the income from property tax on housing in the city within four years. But nothing will come of it. – Social assistance in Bergen has been the highest in the country. It is challenging that it actually competes with work, says finance councilor Jacob Mæhle (H). The city council in Bergen is raising the prices of after-school care in the city. For first to third graders, the price goes up by 28 percent. Photo: Gorm Kallestad / NTB Why must expenses be reduced? Finance councilor Jacob Mæhle (H) has said that Bergen municipality has lived beyond its means. – In 2022, Bergen spent NOK 1 billion more than we can afford, he said in the financial speech to the city council in October. Both schools, services for the elderly and mental health have had expenses that have gone far beyond the budget over a long period of time. However, former city council leader Rune Bakervik (Ap) believes that the previous city council did a good job. – I am happy that we had sensible financial management that set aside money for a rainy day, he told news when the budget proposal was presented in October. Bakervik believes that they delivered a budget with large plus figures every year. Finance councilor Jacob Mæhle was present when the budget agreement was to be presented on Wednesday morning. Here together with group deputy leader Chris Jørgen Knudsen Rødland (H). Photo: Eskild Byrkjeland Which cuts are being dropped? A number of cut proposals were put forward when the proposal for the budget was presented on 30 October. Now the cooperative parties are going back on a number of cuts. These are the cuts that will not come to fruition: It was planned to remove the district emergency services in Loddefjord and Fana. These will be saved in next year’s budget. The artist and work grants will also remain in place. Many artists demonstrated outside the town hall when the cut proposal became known. Author Sandra Lillebø said that she would not have been able to finish writing her last book without the grant. Søreide junior high school was proposed to be postponed. Now, however, money is being set aside for project development of the school. Krokeide school in Fana, which only has 35 pupils, was to be closed down. Now the school can still be run. A new swimming pool will be built at Ytre Arna school. It was proposed to sell Bergen Kino, but it will be stopped. Hundreds of artists lined up in front of Bergen City Hall and demonstrated when the city council proposed to cut artist and work grants. The proposal is now shelved. Photo: Kari Nygard Tvilde / news What is the reaction to the budget? Group leader Mikkel Grüner (SV) in Bergen city council calls the budget disastrous. – They are cutting social assistance and housing allowance for the poorest. It does not provide funds to run nurseries, schools and nursing homes in a good way, he says. Group leader Mailiss Solheim-Åkerblom for Rødt reacts to the politicians in the city council parties protecting their own million-dollar salary. – Those who have a majority in our city now simply do not know what it is like to be poor. With them behind the wheel, Bergen becomes a colder, grayer and less inclusive city, she says. Group leader Trond Tystad in Bergenslisten defends the cuts. – We know that having a bit of abundance in the municipal coffers is what enables us to help and make good offers for everyone, he says. Group leader Mikkel Grüner (SV) in Bergen city council calls the budget disastrous. Photo: Leif Rune Løland / news Published 11.12.2024, at 18.18 Updated 11.12.2024, at 19.38
ttn-69
This is what you need to know about the city budget in Bergen – news Vestland
