Regional elections may have been misunderstood in public discourse. Much has been written, for example, about whether Members of Parliament have enough time to serve in three levels of trust bodies and whether power is concentrated.
However, wellbeing regions are different. Decision-making authority is concentrated in the regional board. Balancing the budget requires difficult decisions, and these are best made through collaboration among all groups. Agreements are reached at the board level. The actual production of services is handled by professionals within the line organization.
The primary task of council members is thus to approve the proposals of the regional board, and in Western Uusimaa, this has been achieved with 100 per cent success. This has surprised many who have served in this role. It also does not take up time, meaning the workload does not increase. Council members do not even dream of wielding power.
In municipal elections, decision-makers are chosen; in regional elections, candidates are selected who will choose the actual decision-makers.
Elsewhere in the country, wellbeing regions have faced difficulties in centralizing services, even though this is essential for balancing the budget. The main reason is council members who prioritize the interests of their own neighbourhoods and refuse solutions that are reasonable for the overall picture.
I am not running in the regional elections. I will cast my vote for a candidate who knows how to be fair and impartial and does not demand special privileges for their close circle.
Jouni J Särkijärvi 