MerikarviaThe municipality is implementing a unique experiment in which local residents participate in budget planning. Sitra is funding the development of this new operating model, which expands local democracy. The RatkaisuTori local resident panels were launched on 5 September 2023 by holding a value discussion on the values related to the municipal budget.
Jukka Saksi, MBA and KTT coach, creator of the concept Leader is Media!, led the discussion by emphasizing the importance of the societal value debate. Corona and Russia's war of aggression have had a broad impact on the culture of discussion throughout Finland. In the ongoing societal value debate, perspectives related to well-being and equality have emerged in particular. Values are often discussed particularly actively during elections, Saksi noted.
MerikarviaThe municipality has chosen as its values service-mindedness, independence and reliability. The mayor Kimmo Puolitaival emphasized the importance of the municipality's independence and thanked the panelists for their positive feedback on the implementation of values in the municipality's everyday life. The panelists highlighted the importance of values in all municipal activities, and many good experiences were brought up. They also considered how value conflicts can negatively affect the development of the municipality. The discussion went through various situations that challenge the implementation of values. The preservation of the upper secondary school and municipal mergers were seen as such themes. The panelists emphasized the importance of cooperation and trust, service orientation and defending values. The mayor highlighted the importance of transparency in decision-making and the challenges of maintaining a strong service structure.
Saksi called for the importance of values, especially in terms of democracy, and stated that values are especially important for young people. He called for more communication about values and for continuous discussions about values with the residents of the municipality. Those who act in accordance with their values will be valued more than before in the future, Saksi stated. Finally, the panelists reflected that acting in accordance with values and taking them into account in ordinary everyday life is important for the development and advancement of the municipality. Building good cooperation between different actors was also seen as important. The municipality is a common issue for all of us, and maintaining independence gives the municipality the freedom to decide on its own affairs, summed up the mayor Kimmo Puolitaival.