Together we are stronger

Regardless of your circumstances or stage of life, our goal is to make your daily life easier. We will provide strong and accessible services for all residents.

• Introduce a cap on the maximum costs families pay for preschool fees. Implement a 100% sibling discount and make registration days free of charge.
• We will offer a summer programme for all children from first to fourth grade, where they can enjoy themselves in a familiar and safe environment.
• Create a smoother transition between the final summer in preschool and the start of compulsory schooling for six-year-olds.
• Reduce unnecessary transportation. Redesign public transport routes and increase frequency so that buses become a genuine alternative for everyday travel.

Welfare

We place welfare at the forefront and ensure that no one is left behind. We recognize that the most vulnerable groups in society do not always have the loudest voices; it is our responsibility to safeguard their rights. Equal societies are strong societies.

• Ensure that the well-being and mental health of children and young people are always a priority.
• Significantly increase the supply of social housing and shorten waiting lists.
• Expand Skógarlundur, a centre for activity and rehabilitation, and find a new location for the Brekkukot short-term care facility.
• Show due respect for the work of AA in Akureyri and rebuild their facilities.

Senior Citizens

We show respect to those who built this town. Ageing in Akureyri should be a positive experience. We aim to ensure a secure, enjoyable, and dignified later life for senior residents of Akureyri.

• Establish proper social facilities for senior citizens in cooperation with EBAK (The Senior Citizens’ Association of Akureyri).
• Ensure that all new housing plans consider the needs of senior citizens.
• Integrate services for senior citizens to improve accessibility, safety, and efficiency. Implement the “Ageing Well” initiative in Akureyri and strengthen support for people with dementia and their families.
• Keep meal prices low and quality high for senior citizens.
• Combat social isolation through digital solutions and cooperation with volunteer organisations.
• Offer free access to swimming pools for residents aged 70 and older.

Immigrant Affairs

Akureyri is changing for the better. An increasing number of people from diverse backgrounds now call the town home, raising families and contributing to the community. This diversity enriches Akureyri, but a strong community does not happen by chance.

• Ensure equal opportunities for participation, access to services, and inclusion in community life.
• Improve access to information and public services and strengthen integration support.
• Significantly expand Icelandic as a second language instruction in compulsory schools.
• Work to make Akureyri a community where everyone feels welcome, valued, and able to contribute.

Our Schools

Students in Akureyri at all levels of education deserve the best possible learning environment. They should have access to specialists when needed and receive instruction from teachers who have the time and resources to do their jobs well. Samfylkingin in Akureyri listens to teachers—they are the experts in children’s education.

• Strengthen school support services and increase access for teachers and students to specialists such as psychologists, speech therapists, and behavioural specialists. Intervene earlier.
• Significantly improve teachers’ working conditions and abolish the mandatory use of the “Vinnustund” system.
• Expand specialised educational options such as Hlíðaskóli, where waiting lists are long and demand is high.
• Increase flexibility in preschool enrolment and summer holiday arrangements.
• Launch an initiative to strengthen arts and crafts education within compulsory schools.

Sports and Leisure

Akureyri would not be the vibrant place it is without its strong sports and recreational activities. We will continue to strengthen this diverse and dynamic sector. community. This diversity enriches Akureyri, but a strong community does not happen by chance.

• Ensure equal opportunities for participation, access to services, and inclusion in community life.
• Improve access to information and public services and strengthen integration support.
• Significantly expand Icelandic as a second language instruction in compulsory schools.
• Work to make Akureyri a community where everyone feels welcome, valued, and able to contribute.

Culture and the Arts

We want a vibrant cultural life in our town and understand the vital role culture plays in society. Culture requires support—and in return, it enriches us all many times over.

• Enable children and young people to pursue visual arts education in Akureyri, strengthening grassroots cultural activity.
• Ensure that compensation for the municipal artist is comparable to state-funded artist salaries.
• Provide proper attention and maintenance for outdoor artworks in municipal spaces.
• Ensure cultural funding keeps pace with inflation and begin work on a new cultural policy, as the previous one expired in 2018.
• Assign expert committees to allocate cultural grants.

Housing and Planning

• Develop a long-term employment and growth strategy that reflects global change, technological development, and innovation.
• Simplify business operations and development in Akureyri through a single municipal point of contact with the business community by establishing a Business Development Office.
• Facilitate more diverse job opportunities and remote-working facilities, encouraging people to return home to Akureyri after gaining education and experience elsewhere.
• Support core industries, review property taxes on commercial buildings, and advocate for improved transport connections to and from Akureyri.
• We will preserve the unique position of MA and VMA, our upper secondary schools, and the University of Akureyri and promote close cooperation between education, industry, and public authorities. Akureyri as an education-driven town is a cornerstone of a thriving business community.

Environment and Nature

A healthy environment and nature matter to us and to future generations. Samfylkingin in Akureyri expects the municipality to address environmental, air quality, and climate issues responsibly.

• Implement the Environmental and Climate Policy of Akureyri, adopted in 2022.
• Protect sensitive natural areas such as Krossanesborgir, Glerárdalur, and Óshólmar with their unique birdlife, while improving public access and ensuring careful planning.
• Work systematically to improve air quality and take particulate pollution seriously.
• Promote environmentally friendly transport and introduce commuting incentives for municipal employees.
• Expand community gardening projects (Matjurtagarðar Akureyrar) and bring food cultivation closer to residents, including near housing for senior citizens.
• Support the Akureyri County Library as a centre for the circular economy.

Akureyri as a Destination

Strengthening Akureyri as a year-round destination brings clear benefits: more activity, improved services for residents, job creation, and a more diverse economy. Development must take place in harmony with residents and the community.

• Advocate for continued development of Akureyri Airport and support its marketing to domestic and international airlines.
• Upgrade the town centre in phases, prioritising vibrant urban life and better tourist information.
• Establish clear rules for the use of residential housing as short-term tourist accommodation.
• Enhance Akureyri as a year-round destination, improving winter access to attractions such as the Botanical Garden.
• Establish an event fund, financed by the Port Fund, to support community-led events and ensure cruise tourism benefits local life.

Strong Advocacy — A Strong Business Community

The Municipal Council of Akureyri must actively advocate for the town, its residents, and its business sector. Samfylkingin in Akureyri places the interests of residents first in all its work.

• Develop a long-term employment and growth strategy that reflects global change, technological development, and innovation.
• Simplify business operations and development in Akureyri through a single municipal point of contact with the business community by establishing a Business Development Office.
• Facilitate more diverse job opportunities and remote-working facilities, encouraging people to return home to Akureyri after gaining education and experience elsewhere.
• Support core industries, review property taxes on commercial buildings, and advocate for improved transport connections to and from Akureyri.

Responsible Finances — For All Residents

Municipal financial management must never come at the expense of residents. Samfylkingin in Akureyri commits not to raising property taxes beyond inflation and to protecting low-income residents from fee increases.

• Maintain competitiveness with the capital region in property taxation and reduce property taxes.
• We will improve transparency and predictability in municipal charges by providing residents with a clear, single-point overview of all fees collected by the municipality.
• Allow residents to apply for reduced property taxes on buildings genuinely used for leisure but currently classified as commercial property.
• Run the municipality with discipline and responsibility, safeguarding shared financial resources.

Governance; Administration and Transparency

• Reinstate open meeting hours for residents to meet with municipal councillors—they serve the residents.
• Restore dedicated status within the municipal structure for key policy areas such as environment and culture.
• Improve the publication of data and information and utilise artificial intelligence in municipal communications.

Hér má skoða kosningastefnuna í heild sinni á pdf skjali.

You can view the entire election manifesto in a PDF file here.

Samfylkingin birtir auglýsingar á samfélagsmiðlum og í gegnum auglýsingamiðlara til þess að koma skilaboðum sínum á framfæri til þeirra sem flokkurinn telur gagn hafa að. Er það gert með því að óska eftir því að þessir aðilar birti auglýsingarnar þeim notendum sínum sem uppfylla ákveðin skilyrði. Samfylkingin fær aldrei neinar persónuupplýsingar til sín um notendur. Breyturnar sem unnið er með eru aldur, kyn og búseta. Nánari upplýsingar um persónuverndarstefnu Samfylkingarinnar.