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INABILITY: Mayor Gunnar Wilhelmsen (Labor Party) has invested in a project that was considered by the Tromsø city council in April. Photo: Ørn E. Borgen
The mayor of Tromsø had a dishwashing meeting with his party colleagues who voted against his own construction project. He himself admits that the tone of the meeting was “violent and confrontational.”
Tromsø Mayor Gunnar Wilhelmsen of the Labor Party is accused of interfering in the municipality’s handling of a case in which he himself has been declared incompetent.
Various sources tell the Tromsø newspaper what happened at a meeting between the mayor and the Labor Party group in the municipal council. VG has received information that supports its description of what was discussed during the meeting.
The meeting was arranged for the group and the mayor to discuss a large construction project, in which Wilhelmsen himself had invested a lot of money and his own party group had recently voted against the plans.
At the meeting, Wilhelmsen is said to have gone out of his way to explain why he thought his colleagues should have voted for the project and to emphasize how much money he had invested himself.
The mayor himself says that the tone during the meeting was “violent and confrontational.”
– I was angry and sorry. But life goes on, Tromsø Mayor Gunnar Wilhelmsen tells iTromsø.
NOK 19 million in ski resorts
The starting point is a new ski resort and a rural town called Arctic Center. The 40-year plans have divided the city of Tromsø, according to NRK, in part because of the role of the mayor.
Gunnar Wilhelmsen owns 29.7 percent of the shares, while his brother Arne Wilhelmsen owns 37.8 percent.
Therefore, the rapporteur has been declared incompetent.
The day before the case was decided in the municipal council, the mayor’s brother came out with an ointment of force against the newspaper’s politicians. He told iTromsø that the brothers had invested NOK 19 million in the project.
The municipal council approved the alpine station. When the rural town was up for consideration on April 29, the Labor Party group decided to vote against it.
Their votes secured a majority against the cabin plans, which were thus rejected.
The group asked the mayor for a meeting to discuss the matter. Just two weeks later, on May 12, the informal meeting took place.
ILLUSTRATION: This is what the alpine resort with a village of huts is supposed to look like, following an illustration by Arkitektkontoret Amundsen. Photo: Illustration, Arkitektkontoret Amundsen
Questions about interference
At the time of the meeting, the mayor’s brother was working to appeal the denial. Therefore, the case was not finally resolved and processed by the municipality.
The party group did not know this, VG was told. Thus they entered a meeting with the mayor on a matter in which he should not interfere.
Multiple sources at the meeting tell iTromsø that the mayor made it clear that he was disappointed with the rejection.
He argued that the party group should vote for the plans, the sources told the newspaper.
Wilhelmsen is said to have gone into detail about how much money he and his brother had invested in the project. He is also reported to have said that he was not sure if he had run for mayor, if he knew how the party group would vote.
Wilhelmsen denies iTromsø tried to influence them or interfere in the case. He says he does not remember when he learned that his brother complained about the refusal and that the case was not finally resolved.
For VG, the mayor says he does not want to comment on the case, but refers to his statements to iTromsø.
– Confrontational
The mayor writes in a statement that the tone of the meeting was “more violent and confrontational than I and probably also the members of the group think.”
Wilhelmsen further writes that the city council group’s decision sparked an “emotional reaction” from him and that many, including himself, were disappointed with the outcome.
Members of the Labor Party group sent a written comment to VG on Saturday night, signing leader Jarle Heitmann and Vice President Tone Marie Myklevoll. The group acknowledges that the case has created unrest in the party.
“The discussion in recent days about the process surrounding the case has been difficult and shows that we have a job to do with cleaning and ventilation, confident that we want the best for others. We also believe that we will continue to work well with our mayor and with the entire party. “
OUTBREAK: Mayor Gunnar Wilhelmsen spoke to the media about the crown outbreak on Hurtigruten’s ship. Wilhlemsen is married to the director of public relations for the same company. Photo: Ingun A. Mæhlum
The mayor of the city has also been in a dispute recently over Hurtigruten connections.
He went to a private meeting with the director of Hurtigruten during the corona eruption on one of the company’s cruise ships. Wilhelmsen is married to Hurtigruten’s director of public relations and rents premises from the company himself.
In hindsight, he regretted going to this meeting alone, according to iTromsø.
– The pressure on us in the group has been great
In the statement to VG, the group’s leaders say the case has been difficult for them.
“The case has created sharp fronts both in the population and in the municipal party of Tromsø. The pressure on us in the group has been great from opinion leaders from all sides of the issue » write the group leaders.
They emphasize that they have handled the case in a thorough and responsible manner, and without interference from the mayor.
The same group writes a new configuration
Depending on the complaint, the village will reach a new hearing at the town hall in September.
Before then, the same group that met with the mayor will now present their views on the rural village to the Tromsø Labor Party. They will write the configuration of how the party should vote in the case.
Thus, 88 local party members will decide the party’s vote, not just the municipal council group.
