Most district municipalities work hard to increase the population, but in Fitjar in Vestland they have done the exact opposite. There, the mayor has encouraged the students to move away before New Year’s Eve. The reason? To avoid the village losing millions of kroner in grants from the state. And they have succeeded in that. Thanks to a local student campaign in space Christmas, they have managed to lower the population below the “magical limit” of 3,200. One of the around 25 enthusiastic campaigners for deregistration is 25-year-old Emil Sæterbø Fitjar. – It’s really great that it went. It seems as if many people have taken responsibility and moved, he says back in the study city of Bergen. Put his trust in the students The slightly absurd story started in 2021. After what he referred to as a “disastrous year” for child births, mayor Harald Rydland (KrF) went out and encouraged the citizens to have more children. In 2022, the number of births had doubled. But then came the war in Ukraine and galloping price increases, which led to a tight municipal budget. The sweat began to drip from the foreheads of the municipal management: This is how the revenue system of Norwegian municipalities is structured The majority of Norwegian municipalities and county councils’ income (70 per cent) comes through discretionary income. Free income consists of framework grants and tax income. Tax revenues include income and wealth tax from personal taxpayers, and natural resource tax from power companies. The framework subsidy includes the resident subsidy. In addition, there will also be regional political subsidies and discretionary subsidies. Earlier in the autumn, a publicly discredited committee (Inntektsystemutvalet) delivered its report to Minister for Municipalities and Districts Sigbjørn Gjelsvik (Sp). The proposal is now out for consultation, with a consultation deadline of 3 January. Source: Ministry of Local Government and Regional Affairs If the population exceeded 3,200, the village would lose the small municipality grant from the state of a total of NOK 7 million in 2024. In December, there were already five too many. FITJAR MUNICIPALITY: The municipality is located in the southwest of Vestland county. Then came the idea, with strong support from the mayor, that Fitjarbu people who lived and studied in another city could report moving. The idea quickly spread in the village and was probably the salvation. On 2 January, the population was 3180. Mayor: – Now we’re speeding up! – I am relieved, because I know what this means for the service offering in the municipality, says mayor Harald Rydland (KrF). He has previously admitted that he has encouraged the students to move out. But now the pipe has a different sound: – Now we are picking up speed and we will never go down to 3,200 again. We will stay well above and grow all the way, says the mayor. – You are not going to encourage the same thing next year? – No, it will be included this one time. I promise, says Rydland and chuckles. He hopes that the students who have just signed out will rejoin the municipality as soon as possible. RETURN ON THE STRATEGY: Just after the New Year, the mayor of Fitjar Harald Rydland (KrF) is ready to increase the population again. – We don’t want to be a small municipality anymore, he says. Photo: Olav Røli / news Student: – Wants to move back Student Emil thinks it’s a little strange that he is no longer registered in Fitjar. – I hope I can still call myself fitjarbu. It’s a bit strange to no longer have the physical proof that I’m from there, but to help the municipality this was the least I could do, he says. The 25-year-old is clear that he will move back sometime in the future. – People from Fitjar care a lot about their village. You see that when 25 people pull themselves together and move away to help the municipality. These municipalities are closest to Fitjar in terms of population as of 1 January 2022. Several Norwegian municipalities have around 3,200 inhabitants and receive additional subsidies. * Lund municipality, Rogaland: 3,178 inhabitants * Sør-Fron, Innlandet: 3,064 inhabitants * Vanylven, Møre and Romsdal: 3,045 inhabitants * Tingvoll, Møre and Romsdal: 2,960 inhabitants * Askvoll, Vestland: 2,951 inhabitants There are a total of 136 municipalities that receive district subsidy Southern Norway. Municipalities can also receive this subsidy if they exceed 3,200 inhabitants. This if they score low on the district index. Source: Municipal and District Ministry THE HEART IN THE VILLAGE: Emil Sæterbø Fitjar emphasizes that the relocation notice is only temporary. He is going back to his home village. Photo: JØRN OLAV MYHRE
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The student Emil (25) may have saved the municipality from losing millions – by moving there – news Vestland
