What do you mean? Have your say at the bottom of the matter. At Brunla secondary school in Larvik, tenth graders Selma Dybwad Gulliksen and Kristine Sørlle demonstrate the challenges the old school building presents. – It’s very tired, says Sørlle. – In the gymnasium, for example, water leaks when it rains, continues Gulliksen. The solution to the leak is that a bucket has been put forward. It is not pleasant, think the tenth graders. The toilet lacks a door, says principal Else Marit Bjerknes. Photo: Lars Tore Endresen / Lars Tore Endresen In one of the classrooms there are several holes in the ceiling, and the toilet is missing a door. In case of absence due to illness, the school cannot afford to provide substitutes. – It feels a bit unfair that we have to have a gymnasium with leaks and holes in the ceiling, says Sørlle. Principal Else Marit Bjerknes has decided that the students and teachers must shovel themselves, so that it will be passable. – We cannot afford to shovel the schoolyard, she explains. The pupils must shovel the school yard themselves. Mayor of Larvik Birgitte Gulla Løken (H) and principal Else Marit Bjerknes pave the way between the snow funds. Photo: Lars Tore Endresen / Lars Tore Endresen – The great challenge of our time All the country’s municipalities have the same requirements for which services they must offer their citizens. But what can be offered depends on how much money the municipality has. An analysis of the distribution of tax income from 2022 shows that there is a big difference between the municipalities with high incomes and those with low incomes. The income system in the municipalities and county municipalities The starting point is that everyone is entitled to the same welfare services, regardless of place of residence. The municipalities are obliged to offer, among other things, nursery school, school, care and social services. Municipalities receive money from the state and from what their citizens pay in taxes. But there is a big difference from municipality to municipality in how much income and expenditure they have. An income system distributes the municipalities’ income and expenditure. But expenses are fully distributed, tax revenues are only partially distributed. Because the tax revenue is not distributed equally between all the country’s municipalities, those municipalities with many residents in well-paid work have more money than municipalities with large groups outside the working life and low-paid residents. Many mayors are concerned about the municipality’s finances. With Larvik in the lead, 31 municipalities have geared up for the fight for a more even distribution of tax revenues. They want more of it to be taken from the rich and given to the poor. They have invited over 300 of the municipalities in the country that receive tax revenues below the national average. So far, over 100 municipalities have registered. Oslo is one of the few municipalities with tax revenues above average. The municipality offers a dementia village to its residents. Photo: Rolf Petter Olaisen / news – We have a tax equalization system in Norway that makes rich municipalities increasingly richer and poor municipalities such as Larvik, increasingly poorer. That’s what Mayor of Larvik Birgitta Gulla Løken (H) says. – The inequalities in Commune-Norway are about to become the great challenge of our time, so we have to do something about it. The municipalities that have tax revenues below the national average make up over 80 per cent of Kommune-Norge. On the list are cities such as Kautokeino, Halden, Eidsvoll and Arendal. Only a few municipalities have incomes above the average. The conditions at the school in Larvik stand in stark contrast to Bekkestua secondary school in Bærum, a municipality with tax revenues above the national average. The school, which was refurbished two years ago, offers a separate room with stands for table tennis tournaments, foosball tables, large and bright common areas and a green screen for making films. The pupils get their own iPad, and there is both Apple TV and a whiteboard in all classrooms. Bekkestua secondary school in Bærum has recently been refurbished. Here, students don’t have to shovel the road themselves. Photo: Benjamin Danielsen / news – We are very pleased that we have got a new building. We have hired everyone we need, and we have the equipment we need, says principal Morten Rondan. Understands the commitment Municipal and District Minister Erling Sande (Sp) says he understands the commitment from municipalities that have low incomes but great needs. – There are differences in Municipality Norway now. One of our goals is to equalize somewhat more between the municipalities that have little tax income and those that have a lot. There will always be some difference from municipality to municipality, the minister believes. – But now there are bigger differences between the poor and the rich municipalities, and then we have to try to equalize to a greater extent. Hello! Welcome to dialogue at news. Since you are logged in to other news services, you do not have to log in again here, but we need your consent to our terms of use for online dialogue
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Over a hundred municipalities take up the fight for a more even distribution of the money – news Vestfold and Telemark – Local news, TV and radio
