Municipal reforms: Helsinki would swallow four neighbours

MInistry plans to combine five municipalities in the capital region; only Helsinki is satisfied

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"Bad", "inadequate", and "shortsighted" are theree of the more printable adjectives being used.
      A working group on municipal reform is proposing a merger of Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa, Kauniainen, and Sipoo and the idea has been almost totally rejected in the Helsinki region.
      ”People will blow their fuses”, snapped Jyrki Kasvi (Green League), the Chairman of the Espoo City Council, after hearing the proposal.
      ”They will not have much sympathy for the plan. In the neighbouring municipalities, residents are fearing colonial-style governance and worrying that the surrounding areas will only serve as land reserves for Helsinki”, Kasvi argues.
      In Kasvi’s view, the previous experiences relating to the compulsory annexation of part of Sipoo to Helsinki have raised suspicions over cooperation.
     
Espoo Mayor Jukka Mäkelä slams the proposal for lack of expert knowledge.
      ”I feel that the working group has not had sufficient expertise to make such decisions on the metropolitan area”, Mäkelä argues.
      According to the report, a large municipality in the Helsinki metropolitan area would streamline administration, improve services, and increase the attractiveness of the metropolitan region. Mäkelä believes quite the contrary.
      The little enclave of Kauniainen pulls together with the surrounding city of Espoo.
      ”In a way, we are safe here in the lap of Espoo. The city of Espoo is a strong advocate of municipal cooperation, but nevertheless, the city does not plan to merge with us”, Tapani Ala-Reinikka (National Coalition), the Chairman of the Kauniainen City Board says optimistically.
     
The proposed merger is believed to bring relief to Vantaa in particular, as the city is deeply in debt. However, the new Mayor, Kari Nenonen, is not convinced.
      ”Helsinki will fall into debt rapidly, and its costs to produce services are high. Vantaa is efficient but debt-ridden. Espoo is fairly affluent. In what way would a merger be of use to anyone?” Nenonen asks.
      Tapani Mäkinen (National Coalition), the Chairman of the Vantaa City Board, regards the proposal as a good basis for discussion.
      ”Vantaa’s demand to be independent is somewhat lame, considering the financial situation and future prospects”, Mäkinen admits.
     
Only Helsinki was pleased to receive the report - as could be expected. The capital has been pressing for the abolishment of borders for many years.
      Mayor Jussi Pajunen (National Coalition Party) and party colleague Risto Rautava, the Chairman of the Helsinki City Board, both expressed their warm approval of the proposal.
      ”This will be a good thing. The Ministry has shown courage”, Rautava enthuses.
      Pajunen feels that from the residents’ perspective, Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa, and Kauniainen are one and the same city. ”It would be quite reasonable to merge Sipoo with the four cities”, Pajunen adds.
      However, Sipoo residents would rather keep the present municipal borders.
     
Helsinki’s neighbours have not given up. They intend to prepare a reply to the proposal by April.
      ”We have tried to bring forward our views, but so far, the government has refused to listen to us”, says Espoo’s Mäkelä.
      Antti Lindtman (SDP), the Chairman of the Vantaa City Council, is convinced the government will not resort to compulsory annexations, even though the working group is insinuating these could be on the table.
      ”The government’s final proposal will not be based on the current view of the working group”, Lindtman adds.
     
Even in the surrounding municipalities, borders would fall with a crash. The number of municipalities in the province of Uusimaa would come down to nine.
      Many municipalities are cherishing dogged hopes of remaining independent.
      ”No annexations are required”, Eero Lehti (National Coalition), Chairman of the Kerava City Board, thundered, expressing his opinion about the proposed mergers.
     
In the west, Siuntio would be divided into two parts: one half would be annexed to the Swedish-speaking coastal area, while the other would be merged with Lohja.
      The city of Hyvinkää would belong to the province of Kanta-Häme after the proposed merger.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Working group wants to reduce municipalities from 336 to about 70 (8.2.2012)
  Government to publish municipal reform maps next week (2.2.2012)
  Administrators to be appointed to examine changes in municipal structure (26.1.2012)
  Leaked map reveals plans to reduce number of municipalities to about 70 (16.1.2012)

See also:
  Poll: Support grows for municipal merger in Helsinki region (21.12.2010)
  Merger of Helsinki and Vantaa would narrow differences in health services (19.5.2010)
  Future Vantaa mayor open to possibility of merger with Helsinki (10.11.2011)

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