Sp-top in Alta does not think Finnmark will manage alone – NRK Troms and Finnmark – Local news, TV and radio

Dividing the new big counties is one of the Center Party’s most important issues before the elections. It became clear when SP leader Trygve Slagsvold Vedum and Erna Solberg barked together at Politisk kvarter on NRK P1 on Wednesday morning.

Regional reform was Vedum’s first problem when he was allowed to challenge the prime minister.

As usual: where conservatives want larger counties to generate awareness and impact in districts, Vedum will have smaller counties and closer to the people.

Now it turns out that the enthusiasm for dividing the counties is not the highest everywhere in the Center Party.

The party’s deputy mayor in Alta, Jan Martin Rishaug, does not think Finnmark will improve on its own.

Disagree, but loyal

– I see what kind of challenges Finnmark would have had if we hadn’t merged, Rishaug tells NRK.

He fears Finnmark will run out of money and professionals the day he draws the new county lines on the map.

Rishaug presented the views around the lunch table at an Alta meeting last Friday, attended by media folks and other local politicians. Then he said no to the interview, because that’s just his personal opinion.

He still makes some comments when NRK makes it clear that we will cover the case anyway, as he, as deputy mayor, has a central position.

– I belong to a party that is in reverse. I identify with that. But personally, I can say that I am not so comfortable with it.

Pengetrøbbel

Rishaug is also on the councils for Troms and Finnmark counties, where they are fighting for the necessary money.

The problem is, Finnmark politicians pulled their pants up and went sky high on the last budget they passed alone, just before the merger, according to Rishaug.

– Finnmark’s proposed economy is not sustainable over time. New corpses fall from the closet as time passes. This is my greatest concern for the future of Finnmark as a separate county.

Rishaug is targeting large loans and large expenses in day-to-day operations.

– I don’t see how Finnmark will be able to solve the financial challenges it faces. In my opinion, it is impossible without major interventions in the supply to the population.

– It is about both boat and bus routes and high schools. We should have done a much bigger intervention if we were still just Finnmark County Township.

– Do you think someone in Finnmark has been tactical and thought that “when Troms invests a lot, we will too”?

– I don’t dare say how it was thought; I didn’t sit in the county. But let’s say: Troms County Township had a much more sustainable economy than Finnmark’s. Old Troms is participating in some of the cuts that will occur due to what happened in Finnmark.

Barely state bailout

Rishaug doubts the Storting will step in and cover more than just the costs of a division.

– I do not imagine that it is possible to demand that the State also cover a decision of 2018, if a debt in which there was no sustainability.

Rishaug fears the lack of professionals in the county administration is a problem along with the economy.

– A large amount of human resources have disappeared from Vadsø and are difficult to recover. It should also be in place when it is recreated.

Solberg: it may be the end of the counties

Erna Solberg believes that a failed regional reform could spell the end of the entire municipal county level in Norway.

In that case, it is in line with the actual position of the Conservatives. They would prefer to have large municipalities, and no tier between them and the state.

– This has been a sore spot in the Norwegian organization for 20 years. Four different studies have been done, but we have never hit the mark. This time we have made a more important move. So I hope we have time to analyze if this is the answer to what a regional level should look like. If not, I think it will be goodbye at this regional level, says Solberg.