The matter in summary Municipal director Terje Heggheim in Sunnfjord has turned down a salary increase of NOK 85,000 due to the municipality’s poor finances. Heggheim already earns more than the average for municipal directors, with an annual salary of almost 1.7 million. Sunnfjord municipality is in danger of going 70 million in the red in 2024. Several Norwegian municipalities report deficits and overspending. It is unusual for a municipal director to say no to more pay, but it has happened before in other municipalities. The reactions from people on the street to Heggheim’s election are mostly positive. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAI. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. – I have a good salary. I earn almost 1.7 million a year. If I can give such a signal, I think it is absolutely appropriate, says municipal director Terje Heggheim. He wants to avoid discussion about a pay week for himself. Heggheim still earns more than other municipal directors. The average salary for the group was 1.3 million in December last year. Newspaper Firda mentioned the case first. The municipality he is the leader of has found itself in financial trouble. They could be in the red by 70 million in 2024. Unique, but not alone It is not usual for a municipal director to say no to more money in the salary account. – It is unusual to talk about the demanding situation for the economy in the municipalities, says Helge Eide, director of society, welfare and democracy in the municipal sector’s organization (KS). He has hardly heard of similar situations. Eide in KS says it is probably the signal effect that stands highest when the municipal director in Sunnfjord declines the pay increase. Photo: Tom Balgaard/news Should tenants in municipalities cut their own wages in difficult economic times? Yes, they should definitely cut their own salaries. No, they deserve their wages because they have demanding jobs. I don’t know. Show result Unusual, yes, but not the only one. In 2019, Sokndal mayor Jonas Andersen Sayed (KrF) cut his own salary by NOK 250,000. The intention was that this should be held in the municipal pot. Mayors in Kautokeino municipality also chose to take a pay cut earlier this year when the municipality had to save millions of kroner. If the wage increase had been in line with the settlement in Sunnfjord municipality, Heggheim would have received around 85,000 more in wages. – Everyone understands that 85,000 is virtually nothing in a municipal budget. In this case, the signal effect is probably the most important, believes Helge Eide. Heggheim says he has a clear motivation for the stoppage in the salary increase. – I hope that we can get motivation around restructuring and savings. Criticism has previously been leveled at the fact that even those who are not union representatives in municipalities should lower their salaries, as for example in Bodø. Creates reactions The reactions to the somewhat unique savings method have not been long in coming. In Førde, people think it is appropriate for the municipal administration to waive parts of the salary in financially difficult times. – This should have happened a long time ago. Those who work in the municipal administration simply do not deserve such salaries, says Carmen Schneider, who works at Sunnfjord hotel. Carmen Schneider thinks it is appropriate that the municipal director does not increase his salary. Photo: Arne Stubhaug – I think it’s nice, says a pensioner in the center of Førde. – It is appropriate that they can donate their wages to the municipal coffers. Any salary over 1 million is too much, one thinks another. Published 03.12.2024, at 21.25
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The municipal director in Sunnfjord asks for zero in the salary week – news Vestland
