Residents express dissatisfaction with municipality relations in Sandur and Skopun

The relationship between residents and the municipality in Sandur and Skopun is notably lacking, with both municipalities receiving poor ratings in a recent public survey conducted by Kringvarpið and Lóðir. Sandur is particularly struggling, as evidenced by a score of 37 for community cohesion, which is significantly below that of other larger municipalities in the region.

The survey posed the question: “Considering the municipality as a whole, to what extent do you agree with the statement: ‘The municipality is well integrated’?” Responses were rated on a scale of 1 to 7, with higher scores reflecting dissatisfaction. A total of 91 respondents from Sandur and 73 from Skopun participated.

Furthermore, residents expressed dissatisfaction with the communication and information flow between the municipality and citizens, with Sandur again trailing behind other areas in this regard.

Heri Sverrason, the mayor of Sandur, attributes the survey results to the respondents’ perceptions and states, “I believe that the municipality is very well integrated,” emphasizing that most decisions are made unanimously during meetings. He also asserts that their website and frequently updated Facebook page provide sufficient information.

In contrast, Gerhard Lognberg, the mayor of Skopun, contests the findings, suggesting that the survey reflects a misunderstanding of the relationship among municipalities. Despite low scores in overall administration and reputation, both municipalities excel in housing options, with Skopun ranked third among Faroese municipalities and Sandur in the mid-range.

Lognberg plans to step down after 40 years in office and believes that even if future elections consider this survey, it won’t change the strong collaboration within their municipalities, particularly in key areas such as education and healthcare.