Members of Kommune Qertalik’s municipal council and settlement councils held a meeting in June in Qeqertarsuaq. Sermitsiaq has investigated what the meetings have cost the municipality. The mayor believes that the meeting will be beneficial.
Elected to the municipal council in Municipality Qeqertalik and the village boards met and held a meeting in Qeqertarsuaq shortly before the summer holidays. The municipal director and the finance director also took part in the meetings, according to documents to which Sermitsiaq has been given access.
During the stay in Qeqertarsuaq, 14 members of the municipal board and 11 members of the settlement boards participated, according to the municipality’s information.
The members of the municipal council were in Qeqertarsuaq from 8 to 11 June. The members of the settlement boards were in Qeqertarsuaq one day shorter and went home on 10 June.
The municipal board held an ordinary meeting in Qeqertarsuaq’s community hall on 11 June. The elected representatives met together the day before to discuss matters in the municipality. There was also a seminar on the budget for the coming year.
Among other things, the topics that were discussed were: Waste management, future development and possible challenges, construction projects and the fire service.
A review of documents shows that the elected officials’ and civil servants’ stay in Qeqertarsuaq cost the municipality DKK 425,136.03.
Distribution of expenses
The trip for the municipal politicians and civil servants from their hometowns to Qeqertarsuaq and the return trip from Qeqertarsuaq as well as their stay in Qeqertarsuaq cost a total of DKK 349,859. This amount includes a bill to the municipality of DKK 17,500 from the transporter who should have been responsible for the transport, because no notice was given that the previously concluded transport agreement should no longer be used.
The daily allowance of the elected representatives and civil servants amounted to DKK 30,084.19 on those days.
The municipality also hired an external interpreter. It cost 23,000 kroner. This amount covers the person concerned’s work and travel.
The elected representatives also drank soft drinks while eating burgers, pasta and fish n’ chips one evening at the hotel in Qeqertarsuaq, Hotel Disko Island. The municipality spent DKK 19,656 on the hotel that evening.
Refreshments were also bought for the meeting of the elected representatives in Pilersuisoq’s shop in the city. They cost DKK 2536.84.
The Mayor: Our meeting will be beneficial
In the Municipality of Qeqertalik, the municipal council usually holds meetings via communication links. But twice a year it is a tradition that the elected representatives meet physically and hold meetings together, Mayor Simigaq Heilmann (D) tells Sermitsiaq.
– When we meet physically and hold meetings and discussions together, we gain a great deal of insight into the day-to-day conditions, which the elected officials in the individual places know very well.
– A physical meeting is very beneficial in terms of prioritization and allocations for next year’s budget, and overall it will benefit the Municipality of Qeqertalik, writes the mayor.
