Public Suggests Cutting Spending And Revising City’s Transportation Agreement

According to the public, the City of Reykjavík should spend less and review its transportation agreement, based on suggestions submitted through a recently concluded online consultation portal, reports RÚV.

A few hundred suggestions were sent in, with most wanting fewer councillors, decreasing their number from 23 to 15. Others suggest pay decreases for councillors and reducing city governance.

Concurrently, people seem to be opposed to the outsourcing of projects to private contractors. One deputy principal at a Reykjavík suggests having on-site janitors to do maintenance work, instead of calling in contractors.

Another popular mention was the city’s transportation agreement, which includes the running of Borgarlína — a bus rapid transit project aimed to bolster Reykjavík’s public transit. Many want to revise these projects or cancel them altogether.

The most detailed suggestions come from minority councillors. Council leader of Viðreisn (Liberal Reform Party) Þórdís Lóa Þórhallsdóttir advises selling city property and closing down the city’s human rights and digital councils.

Framsóknarflokkurinn councillor (Progressive Party) Magnea Gná Jóhannsdóttir put forward 27 suggestions, including increased outsourcing of Strætó and garbage disposal, as well as merging capital area health and safety authorities.

Following the portal deadline, a task force will review the suggestions and present a conclusion for the city council.