Ylöjärvi proposes ending staff perks, raising borrowing to plug €1.8m gap

A draft 2027 budget proposal before Ylöjärvi city council seeks about €1.8 million in savings and revenue measures as the council prepares for a decision in November, according to Tamperelainen. Measures include ending free staff Christmas meals and a rinkball slot.

The package targets employee benefits, events, grants and services. It would end paper payslips, cut the number of issues of the Ylöjärvi resident magazine and stop property tax grants for non-profit associations. The draft also proposes dropping weekend and night childcare in Kuru and ending Sunday library hours.

According to Yle, around 40 people protested outside Ylöjärvi City Hall on Monday before the budget meeting, naming priest Lassi Harju and musician Anne Viljamaa-Harju, along with their nearly two-year-old daughter Lovisa. Protesters warned that the cuts could force families to move, including facing an impractical 180-kilometre daily round trip to a shift daycare in Ylöjärvi centre.

Yle reports that the city lists savings of about €40,000, while Viljamaa-Harju says the officials’ figures indicate the savings would be closer to €17,000. She also argued that the changes could end up costing the municipality if families relocate. “Make good decisions with your heart,” Viljamaa-Harju said. Harju added that the couple has already prepared for the possibility of moving.

Investment spending remains high for school and municipal engineering projects. Most public area investments would be deferred by a year, except for schools, daycares already under construction and safety-driven works. Planned investments are €31.4 million in 2027, €33.8 million in 2028 and €27.8 million in 2029. Debt per resident is projected to rise to about €5,581 in 2027 and €6,810 in 2029. The proposal assumes modest tax revenue growth but a €1.3 million drop in state transfers compared with 2026.