– It is a day of joy. I am happy, relieved and a little surprised. It is not the percentage that has stood behind Røst when we have received those figures in the past. As a rule, we have been among the municipalities that have always come out worst. That’s what mayor of Røst municipality Elisabeth Mikalsen (Sp) says. Røst gets the largest percentage increase in discretionary income with a whopping 22.7 per cent and is thus the winner of the state budget 2025: The government estimates that Røst will receive NOK 74 million in discretionary income for 2025. Mikalsen states that the residents should notice the positive news. On the opposite side of the country, the tone is completely different. – We have been exposed to an income system where they take half a billion from us overnight. This goes beyond our services, says the mayor of Bærum, Lisbeth Hammer Krog. She asks: “Is the school more valuable in a small place than in a large municipality where many people are affected?” Røst, in the sea gap outside Lofoten, gets more to route with going forward. Photo: Benjamin Fredriksen / news – District policy that works The government proposes to strengthen the discretionary income of the municipalities in Nordland by NOK 1.63 billion next year. This is a 6.2 percent increase from 2024. This much has been proposed to the municipalities: Akershus: NOK 3.29 billion Oslo: NOK 3.02 billion Vestland: NOK 3.56 billion Rogaland: NOK 2.69 billion Trøndelag: 2.65 NOK billion Innlandet: NOK 2.27 billion Agder: NOK 1.73 billion Østfold: NOK 1.50 billion Møre og Romsdal: NOK 1.74 billion Buskerud: NOK 1.52 billion Vestfold: NOK 1.15 billion Nordland: 1, NOK 63 billion Telemark: NOK 959 million Troms: NOK 1.10 billion Finnmark: NOK 776 million At the top of the list of municipalities are three municipalities from Nordland; Røst, Træna and Værøy. – This is yet another example of district policy that works and pays off. Røst and the other two islands represent great value creation and what is happening now makes it possible to continue with it in the future, says Mikalsen. The mayor believes this will contribute to Røst being able to provide the residents with equal services, which contributes to creating a desire to live and live. Photo: Ingrid Gulbrandsen Årdal / news Leader of the Central Association of Municipalities (KS), Gunn Marit Helgesen, however, expresses great disappointment with the proposed grant overall. – The problem is that the increase does not match the services that the government and the Storting promise that the citizens will receive. This is serious for democracy and trust, says Helgesen to news. Because not all municipalities can celebrate. Some municipalities receive a far smaller increase. And some well below the projected price and wage increase of 4.1 per cent: Going into the red Lurøy municipality gets the smallest percentage increase in Nordland, with an increase of 2.9 per cent. This means that Lurøy municipality will in practice go into the red. – It is modest. In reality, we will not get any real increase, says Håkon Lund (H), mayor of Lurøy. The mayor points out that they deliver services spread over a large geographical area. – We are one of Norway’s most decentralized municipalities. So there are plenty of challenges. Bærum is not one of Norway’s most decentralized municipalities, but even there the challenges are now lined up, according to Mayor Lisbeth Hammer Krog (H). She points out first of all that they have never complained that they are already redistributing NOK 2.11 billion. – Now we lose NOK 500 million overnight, as well as redistribution of tax, which makes the total NOK 750 million, she says to news. Lisbeth Hammer Krog calls it all a robbery. Photo: Rolf Petter Olaisen / news The mayor adds: – They (the government) use binoculars, and are accurate. Bærum, together with Austevoll, Solund, Frøya and Tysnes are hit hardest. – What consequences does this have for residents of Bærum? – There are no areas that are shielded. The proposal for a budget from the municipal director contains dramatic cuts. These are densely populated areas that are hit hard. Compared to the top three municipalities in Nordland, Bærum receives far less in discretionary income per inhabitant: She emphasizes that Bærum is a municipality with 150 different nations, major challenges related to youth crime and enormously high land costs. – This must also be taken into account, but I feel that this government is not on that channel over its head. Not at all. – Very pleased Mayor of Træna municipality Trond Vegard Sletten (Ap) is very pleased with the increase. – I would like to hear the mayor who thought it was inappropriate. It is of course very gratifying to hear that we are likely to get a little more on the income side, says Sletten and adds: – We are a small municipality, but that does not mean that we do not have obligations that quickly become very expensive, not least for a small municipality. This fits very well. – We have been seen and heard in relation to our size and location. I want to send a small congratulations to our neighbors across the Vestfjord to Værøy and Røst, says Sletten. Photo: Marius Guttormsen / news Træna municipality will receive a total of NOK 72 million in discretionary income in 2025. What the money will be used for is still unclear, but one thing is certain: – There are plenty of holes to put the money into. I am not in doubt that we will find room for the money. We are heading into a budget process, so there will be no shortage of measures to put the money towards. Sletten believes the island municipality project between Værøy, Træna and Røst has created an understanding that municipalities have extraordinary challenges. Lurøy municipality, which is the municipality in Nordland that comes out worst, is still not giving up. Mayor Håkon Lund (H) is disappointed with the government, but has doubts about the approach. – We have to roll up our sleeves and get the cabal going up. Published 07.10.2024, at 21.01 Updated 07.10.2024, at 21.22
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NOK 1.63 billion more in discretionary income for Nordland next year – news Nordland
