Västerbotten's municipalities are doing well financially - despite the pandemic

In total, the country's municipalities and regions have received 21 billion in increased state subsidies due to the pandemic.

In addition, the municipalities have received compensation for sick pay and have also been able to apply for money for additional costs due to covid-19 in elderly care and disability.

When SVT Västerbotten calls around to the county's municipal council, several state that the economy has gone better than expected and that they are satisfied with the corona support that the state has given.

Twelve municipalities went plus while three went minus (Bjurholm, Norsjö and Vilhelmina).

"Deficit without the money"

Nordmaling municipality, for example, went plus SEK 6.6 million.

- We have made major cuts in the social sector, including places in elderly care.

Positive figures thanks to doping with state funds, we would probably have had a deficit without the money, says municipal councilor Madelaine Jakobsson (C).

Dorotea municipality went plus SEK 4.4 million.

- It is a good financial result, despite the fact that we have made a provision of 9 million to liquidate properties.

Without corona support, we would probably have gone plus-minus zero, says municipal councilor Nicke Grahn (L).

Umeå went plus SEK 361 million, partly due to land sales, but also thanks to the corona support.

Municipal councilor Hans Lindberg (S) states that it intends to set aside 283 million in the so-called profit equalization reserve, so that it can be used when there is a recession.

Has learned from the refugee crisis

Several municipal councils state that they learned something from the refugee crisis in 2015 and the temporary grants they received from the state then.

You put away some of the surplus, instead of using the money to keep going around with an oversized suit.

That is good, thinks Annika Wallenskog at Sweden's municipalities and regions, SKR.

- I'm glad you learned something.

Many in the municipalities are wise and keep an eye on each other.

But it would have been good if we had received more long-term information from the state regarding state subsidies, says Annika Wallenskog.

In the clip above, you hear Vindeln's municipal councilor Mathias Haglund (S) tell how they got the surplus of SEK 12 million.