Styrkja

United for strength and growth

The Independence Party and independent candidates (D list) is seeking your mandate to lead future activities in the new united municipality.

Our grouping contains both experienced local councillors and new dynamic candidates. We all have in common the desire to work responsibly and with integrity for our community.

We are looking to the future together and pledge to work hand-in-hand on the projects ahead of us in our new and changed municipality.

We have presented our main policy priorities in this brochure – you can find the full manifesto xd.is/sameinud or by scanning the QR code below.

We are approaching the elections with optimism – united for strength and growth!

 

A family-friendly community

  • We will coordinate school policy in a united municipality, with the aim of promoting operations of the highest standard at all school levels. We will strengthen cooperation between schools in the municipality and ensure that services are provided in accordance with the goals of the Prosperity Act.
  • We will regularly reassess needs for kindergarten and primary-school services in the Barðaströnd area, in consultation with parents.
  • We will formulate a targeted plan for developing and maintaining school grounds in the municipality.
  • We will build new premises for a kindergarten and primary school in Bíldudalur, in line with the existing needs analysis and newly approved regional land-use plan.

 

A healthy community

  • We aim to promote a wide offering of leisure and sports activities for people of all ages throughout the municipality. We will improve access for regular visitors to the municipality’s sports centres.
  • Sport is a powerful tool in preventing illness for people of all ages. We will continue to care for our youngest children through the area’s ‘sports schools’. We will play our part in the care and maintenance of sports areas.

 

Employment

  • We will focus on developing employment opportunities based on the unique nature of our communities and local environment. We welcome the development of the aquaculture knowledge centre in Vatneyrarbúð and will work to boost and maintain the number of jobs created in marine-related activities in the area. We will analyse the possible opportunities offered by establishing a national park.
  • A competitive society in urban and rural areas needs a secure power system, a high-quality internet connection and secure telecommunications.

 

Administration

  • We practice responsible budgeting. We aim to ensure that the municipality’s debt ratio remains within legal limits and strive to lower the tax burden on residents.

 

Communication with central government

  • We demand a clear policy from central government on electricity procurement and improved security of electricity supply in the Westfjords, in accordance with the recommendations of the April 2022 report of the Working Group on Energy Issues in the Westfjords. All power-generation options must be considered with an open mind. Security of electricity supply will be one of our policy priorities, in the context of energy transition and the future potential of the area as a place to live and do business in.
  • We will strive for effective and continuous dialogue with central government regarding the region’s transport issues. We will fight for improved transport within the municipality, insisting above all on lowland roads and tunnels. We will continue to fight for the completion of road construction, with a lowland road to the south and Bíldudalsvegur over Trostansfjarðarheiði.
  • We will focus on discussing better winter services from the Road Administration and improvements to the main tourist routes.
  • We will continue to fight for better healthcare at the Westfjords Health Institute – with more wards and improved patient facilities – and for access to specialist services in the local area. We need to launch direct talks with the Government Construction Contracting Agency and central authorities on building a nursing home, according to the existing plans.

 

Welfare

  • We need to be aware of and cultivate our role as a multicultural society. We will offer targeted services for new arrivals and promote education, including support for Icelandic tuition.
  • We will make better use of technology to improve access to information, including on the municipality’s website.
  • We need to give constant consideration to improving access to municipality-owned buildings for the disabled and those with reduced mobility.
  • We will continue to offer rental housing for low-income individuals. We need a coordinated housing plan for the entire municipality and to establish how much municipality-owned rental housing must be available in each location.

 

Senior citizens

  • Municipality services for senior citizens aim to enable them to live at home for as long as possible, with the appropriate support. We aim to ensure that senior citizens play an active role in policy‑making and are well informed about the services they can access from the municipality.
  • We will listen to those residents who have been calling for more togetherness in social activities for senior citizens and immediately extend opening hours. We will pursue public-health goals with targeted weekly exercise.

 

Environmental and planning

  • Efforts must be made to look after our entire community and make it more beautiful, and the municipality must set a clear example to follow for the properties and areas that belong to it.
  • We need an implementation plan for renovating and maintaining the street and sewer system and laying pavements in the coming years.
  • We need to continuously review waste issues with the aim of reducing waste and keeping taxes as low as possible. Among the ideas we will examine are discount cards or ‘free days’ for residents. We will focus on greater access to waste sorting in rural and urban areas.
  • We will analyse requirements for human resources and equipment at the municipality’s fire brigade, which needs to be well prepared to deal with increased demands and growing business activity.

 

Ports

  • We need to increase the number of berths and improve conditions at the municipality’s ports, as well as provide storage and waiting areas for port users.
  • We want the municipality’s ports to be well run and create the best possible conditions for visitors and users.
  • Urgent projects lie head as regards developing the municipality’s ports, which have seen ever‑increasing activity thanks to more tourism and marine-related activities.
  • A plan for maintaining and improving the municipality’s ports is needed.
  • We also need a policy on the future role of ports in the area.
  • The Maritime Administration must carry out a study of the increased activity at the port of Patrekshöfn, and proposals for improvement must be implemented immediately.
  • The facilities at the boat/oil pump at the port of Tálknafjörður need to be improved.