It was at the end of last year that KD, M and SD government stopped a renovation that Karlshamn Energi had begun of its premises on Prinsgatan for around SEK 100 million. The municipal company's board of directors was then dissolved in chaotic conditions and the CEO was fired.
But the City Council made a new decision on Monday. Karlshamn Energi will have to rebuild anyway – for the lower sum of SEK 25 million.
"Emergency solution and low-cost variant"
"This will be an emergency solution. There was a good plan from the beginning to rebuild in a good way in terms of work environment. This is a low-cost variant that only lasts a few years, says opposition councillor Per-Ola Mattsson (S).
He believes that the savings are limited by the fact that there will be SEK 40 million in damages and already incurred costs for the previously stopped construction.
"It's a waste of tax money," says Per-Ola Mattsson.
"Multi-million savings"
But municipal commissioner Magnus Gärdebring (M) believes that this is a saving of SEK 60 million and he compares it with the fact that the previously stopped construction would have landed at SEK 125 million.
He comments on the criticism that it is an emergency solution:
"I am prepared to take an emergency solution where the municipality saves SEK 60 million any day of the week. It is about the Karlshamn residents' money, which we should not waste and I am very pleased that we have solved this, says Magnus Gärdebring.