The consultation deadline for the government’s proposal for an addition to the Subdivision Act expires on Friday. The proposal will make it possible to hold a referendum in the old Søgne and Songdalen municipalities, despite the fact that the Kristiansand city council has said no to this twice. Over 30 municipalities have submitted their consultation responses by Wednesday morning, and the majority are critical of the change the government will introduce. Kommunal Rapport was the first to report this. They write that Kristiansand municipality is the sharpest in its criticism. In the response to the consultation, the municipality writes that the proposal creates unnecessary unrest and is perceived as a waste of resources. “It is difficult to understand that the state chooses to spend so much resources on this matter which contributes to division and uncertainty, rather than strengthening the municipalities’ prerequisites to meet the challenges we have to solve now and in the future. Kristiansand municipality is therefore asking KDD to withdraw the bill”. Read statements from other municipalities further down in the matter. Sigurd Berge Aasen heads the action group “We who want Søgne municipality back”. He is still awaiting what comes out of the hearing. Photo: Per Kåre Sandbakk / news Referendum in 2024? The municipal sector interest organization (KS) is also critical of the bill. That does not surprise Sigurd Berge Aasen, who leads the action group “We who want Søgne municipality back”. – Mayor Jan Oddvar has a central role in KS and we are therefore not too surprised that they are not positive about this, he says. Skisland leads KS’s metropolitan network. Aasen is excited about what will come out of the consultation, but has not lost faith that Søgne will become its own municipality again. – We strongly believe that this will be dealt with in the Storting after the holidays and that we will have a referendum in the New Year in 2024 and as it looks now it is within reach, says Aasen. The municipal center in old Søgne municipality, Tangvall, photographed in April this year. Photo: Tom-Richard Hanssen Olsen / news Skisland: – A direct threat Mayor of Kristiansand Jan Oddvar Skisland (Ap) believes it is only natural that most municipalities are against the proposal. – The bill is a direct threat to the municipalities’ right to self-determination, so the answers are not surprising. We have received an incredible number of declarations of support along the way that you are doing something dramatic with democracy in Norway if you start testing the municipal councils, says Skisland. To Aasen’s input that he sits on KS, he has the following to say: – I do not sit on the KS board, but it is clear that I have discussed this in various contexts. Both in KS locally and in the metropolitan network. There has been unison agreement that it is worrying for the municipality if you end up with such a law. Photo: Leif Dalen / news The background for the desire to change the law is after the former municipalities of Søgne, Songdalen and Kristiansand in 2020 were merged into one large municipality, Kristiansand municipality. The forced merger has created a major political debate, both locally and nationally. Most want the municipality back A recent survey carried out by Respons Analyze for news and Fædrelandsvennen in April showed that the majority in the old Søgne municipality still believe that Søgne should become its own municipality again. But fewer and fewer do. The survey showed that 48 per cent in the old Søgne municipality want the municipality back, while 46 per cent did not. A year and a half ago, 59 per cent wanted a resolution, while 31 per cent did not. The survey also showed: In Songdalen, 56 per cent are against being separated as a separate municipality. In Kristiansand, 67 percent are against Søgne and Songdalen becoming separate municipalities again. In Søgne, 60 percent want a referendum, in Songdalen 52 percent and in Kristiansand 30 percent. It is the young people who are most eager for Søgne and Songdalen to become their own municipalities again. In Søgne, 54 per cent of young people between the ages of 18 and 30 want this. Excerpt from the consultation response from the municipalities of Kristiansand: “It is difficult to understand that the state chooses to spend so much resources on this matter which contributes to division and uncertainty, rather than strengthening the municipalities’ prerequisites to meet the challenges we have to solve now and in the future. Kristiansand municipality is therefore asking KDD to withdraw the bill.” Halden: “Halden municipality does not support proposals for authority for the ministry to conduct citizen hearings in matters under the Subdivision Act. The proposal is considered to be in conflict with the trust reform and local self-government.” Frogn: “In summary, Frogn municipality’s opinion is that the ministry’s arguments for the change in the law are of little importance in relation to how fundamentally the change in the law shakes the principle of municipal self-government and local democracy.” Farsund: “The change makes it possible for the ministry to hear all the citizens’ opinions and thus better shed light on matters where the ministry has to make a decision.” Stavanger: Supports the proposal. They believe the changes are necessary to ensure real local democracy. It is particularly important that smaller local communities such as hamlets and village groups within a municipality are heard, they note. Skiptvet: Supports the ministry’s proposal Inlandet: The County Council wanted the Center Party’s representatives to support the ministry’s proposal. They believe it is important that the ministry does not make border changes without local acceptance. But SP’s representatives were voted down, and the majority went in favor of rejecting the government’s proposal (Source: Municipal Report)
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The governments will change the law for Søgne – municipalities say no – news Sørlandet – Local news, TV and radio
