Municipality Qeqertalik continues to have problems meeting its budget. The budget overrun is getting bigger and bigger. It has now been decided that the budget overrun on operations must be covered by taking away the construction projects.
The elected representatives of Municipality Qeqertalik continue to have problems complying with the municipality’s operating budget, which they themselves have approved. The funds used so far for operations are significantly higher than budgeted. It is not new. The elected representatives were informed that the budget overrun already amounted to DKK 18.1 million in the municipality’s first quarter.
The orientation this summer to the elected representatives did not lead to the economy moving in the right direction. On the contrary, the excess continues to grow. Therefore, the administration now recommends that the operating budget be increased by DKK 56.4 million.
The members of the municipal board discussed at their meeting on Wednesday where the money should be found. Mayor Simigaq Heilmann (D) presented here his view on how the funds can be obtained.
She suggested that DKK 59.2 million, which would otherwise be used for construction projects and which is in the construction fund, be used for operations and thus no longer for construction. The mayor stressed that the projects have not yet been started, neither administratively nor in any other way.
The opposition approves that more money is spent
The opposition, Siumut and Atassut, presented a different proposal than the mayor’s after nearly four hours of debate on the matter. They suggested that a further DKK 5 million of the funds for construction projects should be used, so that DKK 64.2 million from construction projects is returned to the municipal coffers.
The majority behind the mayor approved it. As a result, planned construction projects to the value of DKK 64.2 million were saved, and the funds must be transferred to the municipality’s operating fund. The mayor is relieved by the decision.
– Hold on. I am very happy, says Simigaq Heilmann.
Distribution of the excesses
Sermitsiaq has contacted the Municipality of Qeqertalik to find out which construction projects worth DKK 64.2 million have been saved. The municipality had not responded when the article was written.
The actual budget overrun is DKK 56.4 million. The amount is distributed among the four committees, where different amounts are involved. It appears from the material for the municipal council meeting that the Inua Committee has so far exceeded its budget by almost DKK 8 million, Inuit by almost DKK 17.5 million, Timi Tarni by almost DKK 14.3 million and Inoqarfik by almost DKK 17 million.
Frantz Lundblad (S) is part of the opposition in the municipal council. The municipality’s current situation is the most serious in the municipality’s history, he assesses in his statement on the matter.
– We are experiencing a situation in our municipality’s history that has never been so serious before, and major budget overruns are expected, says Frantz Lundblad.
