– It’s quite nice to walk here, says sixth grader Madelen Nessestrand Langeland (11). Together with Malena Hustrulid (10) and Kaja Haugland (11), she goes to Hamre Grendeskule, a private school in the municipality of Osterøy outside Bergen. Osterøy is known for being Northern Europe’s largest inland island. The rural municipality east of Bergen has 8,210 inhabitants. But here the issue of poor finances has become so big that the entire future of the island as its own municipality is at stake. Two parties want to incorporate the municipality in Bergen. – If you have children with special needs, for example, you will not get any help. There are no funds for that. There is little special education in the school and if the most vulnerable are to get help, then we need more robust finances, says Renathe Tangen (V). – A vicious circle She believes that the responsible thing to do is to shut down the municipality. – Everyone wants Osterøy municipality to continue as it is. We intend to be responsible and have two solutions, says mayoral candidate Sebastian André Haugland (H). The one possibility is to facilitate immigration and increase business. This is how they want to turn around the tight budget. But cuts make it less attractive to move to Osterøy. – It becomes a vicious circle, says Haugland. – If we can’t turn it around, and see that the services we provide are not as good as the residents deserve, then we have to look at alternatives. TIGHT: Madelen Nessestrand Langeland (11), Malena Hustrulid (10) and Kaja Haugland (11) live in Osterøy municipality. Photo: Maria Gunnarsdotter Svedal Low income The politicians therefore agree that the municipality has a demanding economy. The reason for the demanding economy is compounded. The reason is that the municipality is fiscally weak and has little income. The municipality had a surplus last year, but is likely to be in a deficit again this year, according to mayor Lars Fjeldstad (Sp). – We have had extraordinary income, which we cannot count on to be there forever. We have had two good years, but it is by no means a sign of a healthy economy, he says. Despite the problem, he is against a municipal merger with Bergen. – I think it has value that we decide for ourselves out here, and that we solve the future problems together rather than us becoming a fringe in a large municipality, believes Fjeldstad. 1 out of 5 at private school What will it take to increase income? And how can politicians cut spending? The parties disagree on that. What should happen to the property tax, how they can make it more efficient and how they can get workers with the right skills are central topics of debate. Some pointers at school. One particular figure makes Osterøy municipality stand out in the statistics: Here, 1 in 5 pupils attend a private school. Private school debates have taken place in many municipalities, but in Osterøy the situation is special. The number on a national basis is 1 in 20. Less income with private schools Nobody knows exactly what it costs. The municipal management has no plans to find out either. Norwegian municipalities receive money for each resident in the municipality, including for school pupils. But when a pupil attends a private school rather than the public school, 80 per cent of this framework allowance disappears. – Rather, it goes to the private schools, so it has a financial impact on the municipality, says mayor Lars Fjeldstad (Sp). – Osterøy has a demanding municipal economy, and I have had it for a long time, admits mayor Lars Fjeldstad (Sp). Photo: Synne Lykkebø Hafsa’s 200 pupils at a private school means over 30 million in lost income from the state. But at the same time as the municipality loses income, they also avoid some expenses. Fewer expenses with private school Trygve Tønnesen (INP) is concerned that the figure does not show what the municipality is saving. He points out that fewer pupils in the public school means, among other things, that the municipality has to pay fewer teachers. He points to reduced salary costs, reduced expenses, smaller school buildings and heating. – You save on a number of factors that must be identified in order to say what the loss is and how much it costs the municipality. Although the politicians debate the private schools, it is not relevant to find out what they actually cost. – Gaining knowledge of the sum would have been pure curiosity and we would rather use municipal investigation resources on something we can do something with, says Mayor Fjeldstad (Sp). Instead, they have to find other places they can cut to save money.
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Poor finances, private schools and a merger with Bergen characterize the election campaign at Osterøy – news Vestland
