Bø municipality is perhaps best known for its tax stunts to attract millionaires to the municipality, which has earned them the nickname “Norway’s Monaco”. But now the municipality itself has got a case on the table that costs millions. The municipality has entered into a final agreement with the municipal director, who until now has been suspended since April. The municipal director receives full salary until August this year, and a severance pay of NOK 1.125 million. In addition, he receives NOK 150,000 as compensation for “non-economic damage”, and that the municipality covers legal expenses in connection with the case. In the final agreement, the suspension imposed by the municipal council on the municipal director is lifted, and the municipality apologizes for the strain this has caused Flø Rasmussen. news has seen the final agreement between the municipality and the resigned municipal director. – I do not agree with the suspension. I believe this agreement shows that the municipal council has had no basis for suspending me, says Flø Rasmussen to news. Was suspended by the municipal council At the end of April, the municipal council decided in an extraordinary meeting to suspend the municipal director. – I apologize that it was necessary to adopt a suspension, said mayor Sture Pedersen in a press release. The municipality would not provide further information about how the municipal director was suspended. The sculpture The Man from the Sea looks over Bø municipality at the far end of Vesterålen. Photo: Lars-Bjørn Martinsen / news But according to the Municipal Report, there were nine points that led to Flø Rasmussen being suspended. They include, among other things: The director of the municipality did not deal with a serious notice directed at the director of finance, nor did he follow this up sufficiently. The finance department must have had major working environment problems. The accounts for 2022 were not delivered on time. Attendance and holiday processing for the financial manager and municipal director has been inadequate. The financial manager and the municipal director have implemented changes to some administrative regulations without this being politically approved. The municipal director has approved very large overtime costs for the finance manager. In addition, it is indicated that the mayor has tried to raise matters with the municipal director, without this having led to progress. In addition, from a political point of view, people have lost confidence in the municipal director and the job he carried out. – No grounds for suspension Confronted with the points from the Municipal Report, Flø Rasmussen says that several of these can be explained. – But I don’t want to get into that discussion now. When they have now lifted the suspension, it shows that there are no grounds for suspending me. – Did you yourself experience that there was a bad working environment in Bø municipality? – I think it was a completely normal working environment, neither before nor after. – Many may think that NOK 1.3 million is a solid sum. What do you think about it? – If you look at the corresponding municipal directors’ agreements, it is within the normal range. But what is important is the NOK 150,000 in restitution compensation. That’s the one I think makes my case well. He says that the whole case is crazy, and says that there are many good and smart people he has worked with. – It is not a total black painting of the municipality. – How was the collaboration with the mayor? – I will not comment on that. Sture Pedersen is mayor of Bø municipality for the Conservative Party. Photo: Barbro Andersen The mayor: Took me freedoms Mayor Sture Pedersen (H) tells news that the municipality has been keen to get an orderly end to the employment relationship. – He resigns and we withdraw the suspension. I have paid close attention to the fact that we should be tidy. – You have previously said that you took some liberties when the municipal director was suspended? – That is absolutely correct. I have also received criticism for that. But I admit that I went far into the administration to try to help clear this up. It ended up with the suspension of the municipal director. It is true that I went far into administration, but I felt that was right. When asked what it was about the working environment that made him have to intervene, Pedersen says that he does not know all the details. – But I was contacted by employees of the municipality who felt that they were not doing well, and then I said that we had to investigate this. – Now everything is up and settled? Have you paid 150,000 to avoid a lawsuit? – No, but the municipality is satisfied with this agreement.
ttn-69
The municipal director in Bø had the job for just under a year – gets 1.3 million in severance package – news Nordland
