The case in summary: Vestre Toten municipality risks ending up on the Robek list in 2025 due to financial challenges. The municipality has cut up to NOK 100 million in recent years and is now facing yet another round of cuts. Several politicians in the municipality are considering tailgating in order to send a signal to national politicians. The municipal sector’s organization describes the situation for the municipal economy as particularly serious. Lillehammer municipality is also facing tough priorities and cuts – where the football club in particular could be hit hard. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAI. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. – We may end up on the Robek list during 2025, but we have plans to avoid that, says mayor of Vestre Toten municipality, Tonje Bergum Jahr (Ap). Several of the politicians in Vestre Toten have had enough. Over the past few years, the municipality has cut up to NOK 100 million and now they are facing another round of cuts. During the political discussion throughout the autumn, several politicians have stated that they have reached a limit. Now they want to send a clear message to the national politicians that this will no longer work. – Strained economy The Mayor confirms the decision, and understands the frustration of his politician colleagues. – We are constantly being asked to do more tasks, but they are not funded. We have to use the money we have, but now we are running out of money, says Bergum Jahr. She herself will work to adopt a responsible budget. – But our economy is strained. According to the mayor, there are several reasons why the Toten municipality has ended up in financial limbo. The funds are soon used up. The municipality has made large investments in recent years and the interest on the loan has increased. Price growth, less tax, and no power income to gamble on. Several statutory tasks without getting extra money. The politicians in Vestre Toten have to make some tough priorities in this year’s budget. Photo: Jenny Marie Sveen / news Want discussion Now all the service areas in the municipality have been told to look at what they can do about cuts and realignments. The municipality must save NOK 50 million. – There are many municipalities that are struggling in Norway today. When so many struggle, I think we have to start the debate about who will pay for what is decided. The tasks that we get are not funded. Then there is something wrong at system level, says Bergum Jahr. This is Robek: Robek (register on conditional approval and control) is a register of municipalities and county councils that are in “economic imbalance”. Those registered in Robek are controlled by the State Administrator, who controls the annual budget, as well as approving loans and long-term leases. Those who end up on the Robek list are subject to government control and the municipalities must determine an action plan that ensures that the economy is brought into balance. As of 15 October this year, these municipalities are on the Robek list: Nesbyen, Flesberg, Moss, Åsnes, Kragerø, Vegårshei, Hareid, Tingvoll, Røros, Røyrvik, Nesna, Meløy, Fauske, Lødingen, Vågan, Andøy, Moskenes, Tjeldsund, Kåfjord, Hammerfest, Vadsø, Kautokeino and Gamvik. Source: Store Norske lexikon og regjeringen.no Worst situation since 1987 Chairman of the Municipal Sector Organization (KS), Gunn Marit Helgesen, says that the situation for the municipal economy is particularly serious. – It is the most demanding financial situation we have had in Commune-Norway since 1987. When the government and the Storting promise more services, the money does not follow, says Helgesen. The municipal economy in Norway is particularly serious, says Gunn Marit Helgesen of the Municipal Sector’s organization (KS). The municipalities have a particularly large overspend on care and care, as well as large extra costs in social assistance, he says. – It looks tough for many municipalities. We hope there will not be many new municipalities on the Robek list, but there are several who risk ending up there, says Helgesen. Moving towards dramatic cuts in Lillehammer It is not just Vestre Toten that is facing tough priorities and cuts. The Olympic city of Lillehammer will also have to cut over NOK 100 million in the coming years. Some of those who could be hit hard are the football club Lillehammer FK. One of the proposals in Lillehammer is to turn off the heat on the football field at Stampesletta this winter. This will save the municipality NOK 400,000 each year. – For our part, it will be dramatic. Stampesletta is in use from morning to evening and I would estimate that 2,000 people use the track. This will have major consequences for local public health and activity, says Jostein Wahl, day-to-day manager of Lillehammer FK. One of the proposed cuts in Lillehammer is to turn off the heating on the football field this winter. Oda Hov and Jostein Wahl like it particularly badly. Photo: Jenny Marie Sveen / news He says that the alternative for them is to travel to Moelv, Raufoss, Brumunddal or Vinstra to practice football this winter – a distance of several miles one way. – We understand that it is a demanding municipal economy, but this came upon us suddenly and for our part there is no alternative, says Wahl. Hope the politicians turn around Captain of the women’s team, Oda Hov, fears that several of her teammates will quit. – The travel distance will be increased and it will take longer. I think we will become less motivated and that will lead to more dropouts, says Hov. Now she hopes that the politicians will not vote for the cut proposal. – It’s stupid. It is not just Lillehammer that is affected, the neighboring clubs also use the facility, says Hov. She hopes the facility will remain open this winter as they are a good group of friends who play together and have fun. Oda Hov thinks more people will stop if they have to travel far this winter to play football. Photo: Jenny Marie Sveen / news Tough budget negotiations – We are in a difficult situation, like the rest of Norway, says mayor of Lillehammer municipality, Hans Olav Sundfør (H). He says that the municipality’s costs increase most on health and care, as well as health costs for younger residents. – We see that the tasks are growing, while the budget is not. We have to deliver the best possible services with the money we have, but it is important that we get money that matches the tasks we have to solve, says Sundfør. Mayor of Lillehammer municipality, Hans Olav Sundfør (H). Photo: Aleksandr Nedbaev / news The mayor believes that they have a controlled economy, but when they have to cut NOK 100 million, there will be consequences. – We are looking for cuts in all parts of the municipality and there are a number of measures that can be adjusted. We still have to weigh it up against other good measures, says Sundfør. Tough budget negotiations He says that the football club does an excellent job for children and young people. – We save NOK 400,000 by turning off the heat, but we will look at possibilities to change this, says Sundfør. Deputy mayor in Lillehammer municipality, Jytte Sonne (KrF), says that turning off the heat on Stampesletta is just one of the proposals that have been put forward. – We have major challenges, including dignified care for those who need it, but also for everyone who is outside of working life, says Sonne. She says that they are in budget negotiations now. – Having a heated football field in Lillehammer in winter is not a legally required task, but it is a proposal we do not like, says Sonne. – Robek is on the blacklist Tord Willumsen from Østlandsforskning believes that the signal from the municipalities is stinging for Finance Minister Trygve Slagsvold Vedum (Sp). – The municipalities are hunger forums and they do not receive enough money from the state to cope with the tasks they are set to solve. For one reason or another, Vedum has yet to become the SP leader who starves the municipalities, says Willumsen. He points out that Robek is also known as a blacklist for municipalities over their own finances. – Then they end up under state management and the State Administrator must approve each time they take out a loan and start a lease agreement. The municipality must also come up with a plan to get the finances in order again, says Willumsen. Electoral researcher Tord Willumsen Photo: Kari Nygard Tvilde / news He thinks it may be difficult for the municipalities to get back in the right direction with the tools they have. – The municipalities do not have large income opportunities beyond what they get from the state, says Willumsen. – It is not all black Even if there are bleak economic prospects, both the captain of Lillehammer and the mayor of Vestre Toten hope that things can turn around. – I am an optimist. More and more people are moving to the municipality, we have made large investments, and we are getting more jobs. So it’s not all black and white, says Bergum Jahr. The mayor hopes that they will avoid appearing on the Robek list and that not everything is completely black. Photo: Jenny Marie Sveen / news Published 22.11.2024, at 05.39
ttn-69
Vestre Toten and Lillehammer struggle with the economy – considering giving up on cuts – news Innlandet – Local news, TV and radio
