City of Gothenburg Annual Report » 2 011 the Chairman of the City Executive Board Summarises 2011
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CITY OF GOTHENBURG ANNUAL REPORT » 2 011 The Chairman of the City Executive Board summarises 2011 One important premise for us, with regard to taking responsibility for a city and its development, is to understand the importance of being able to see several perspectives at the same time. Governing Gothenburg may mean developing industry and commerce and promoting job creation, while at the same time working to improve the availability of organic and locally produced school food for our children. Maintaining Gothenburg’s position as a leading major events city and at the same time implementing the Western Sweden infrastructure package. Or building more pre-school places and at the same time making the decisions required to strengthen openness and the City’s internal control. It is a matter of carrying out what is important for Gothenburg and its inhabitants today, but at the same time ensuring that it is sustainable for the future. The whole city perspective visitors and events business have contributed to making Our motto is that the organisation of the City of Goth- the labour market for young people a little stronger here enburg is characterised by a ”whole city” perspective. than in other places. Gothenburg is one city, a city that is given prospects of sticking together and working together for sustainable Cooperation over borders development. Several decisions and activities in 2011 have We know that cities that have the ability to develop good a particular quality of this ”whole city” perspective. Among cross-border collaboration between the public sector, in- other things, the city began work during the year with a dustry and commerce, academic and association activities, focus on the city’s 400th anniversary, which takes place in are capable of much more with regard to the development 2021. An organisation has been prepared with the task of of a city. In 2011 the city continued working by the triple forming a plan for the jubilee and the approach to it. This helix model, supporting and promoting the collaboration process has involved people with various competences, that exists in the city and the region. Some examples from from widely differing parts of the City of Gothenburg and 2011 are the city’s participation in Mistra Urban Futures the Gothenburg community, who have all actively taken and the city’s various Science Parks. part in the creation of ideas. We think that this method of A further example of cooperation is what the city does working may be a model for the future. together with trade unions and educational organisers to ensure community care training is of the highest quality Stable economy despite financial unrest and that the employers get personnel with the right com- Despite a financially unsettled outside world, charac- petence. This cooperation resulted in Gothenburg being terised by major elements of anxiety and uncertainty, the first major city to be certified for a Community Care Gothenburg managed to retain a good economic situation College in June 2011. in 2011. It is a matter of following the financial fluctua- tions and forecasts to an ever greater extent and alongside A growing city this having the ability to maintain stability when faced The city is growing and we have now passed 520,000 with the financial decisions required. We can see that the inhabitants. More and more families with children choose major reorganisation effected in the district committees to stay on, even in the central parts of the city. This places in 2010 has required resources, but we think that the great demands on housebuilding. A total of about 2,800 organisation will be in tune during 2012. dwellings were being built in Gothenburg at the end of As a consequence of the strong international focus of 2011. There is some uncertainty as to whether the cur- Gothenburg’s industry and commerce, we were hit harder rently uncertain market situation and financial anxiety by the financial crisis than the rest of the country, though will affect the desire to build in the time ahead. The num- the recovery was then stronger in Gothenburg, until last ber of dwellings completed in 2011 totals 1,702, slightly summer when the market situation levelled off. Total lower than the defined goal. It may be worth mentioning unemployment of over nine per cent is still somewhat in this context that in 2011 the city composed a common higher than for the whole country. However, youth building process, with tools and a common document unemployment in Gothenburg is only three quarters of database as a support for companies and departments. The the national average. Our purposeful initiatives in the purpose is for the building processes in the city to occur 2 Reflections on the past year. The Chairman of the City Executive Board, Anneli Hulthén, looks back on 2011. Photo: Peter Svenson in a unified and similar manner. and transformed Plikta into Gothenburg’s first excursion At the beginning of June 2011 the world came to Goth- playground, capable of attracting both old and young for enburg to see, feel and be there to influence how we want to play, motion and meetings. build, plan and develop the city’s central parts for the future. The Central River City project then held a large internation- Adapt the organisation to the goals al workshop with representatives from Europe and the USA. One important condition to enable development of the city for the future is to revise its organisation and design The child perspective to prevail it to suit the goals we strive towards. In 2011 the city The child perspective is the perspective that permeates all therefore started a review of the municipal companies for decisions taken in the city and during the past year work the purpose of evaluating which municipal activities are on the child perspective has been further developed, par- suitable to run in company form or departmental. Also ticularly with regard to urban development. The number included in the assignment is to take into consideration of children in pre-school is growing and in 2011 about new Swedish legislation and future EU directives. 1,500 places were completed and the forecast for 2012 is In 2011 the city also worked intensively to imple- a further 1,500 places. This development requires the city ment an action plan to strengthen internal control and to be able to implement a smooth conversion of premises openness in the City of Gothenburg. There should be no and utilisation of resources. doubts about the City’s ethical rules and attitudes to work In 2011 we took the first step to prepare a social invest- and assignments and the ability to handle tax revenue. ment fund for Gothenburg and also formed a council for integration and social solidarity. It will be very exciting to see the results of these initiatives. Work on Gothen- burg’s new City Library has progressed and in Södra Hamngatan the library opened its first branch in 2011 in conjunction with the major reconstruction. A very popular place for the city’s younger inhabitants to visit is Anneli Hulthén (Soc. Dem.), Chairman the Plikta playground. In 2011 the city repaired, extended Gothenburg City Executive Board 3 How to read the City of Gothenburg Annual Report The City of Gothenburg Annual Report is submitted by the City Executive Board to the City Council. It is also intended for external stakeholders in the form of lenders, suppliers and other public authorities. The Annual Report is produced by the City Management offi ce for the City Executive Board. By way of introduction in the Annual Report, the Chairman of the City Ex- ecutive Board, Anneli Hulthén, makes summarising comments on the past year. the City’s organisation and the members of the City Executive Board are also shown. The City of Gothenburg Annual Report is then divided into four major blocks: BLOCK 1 BLOCK 3 Administration Report Municipal City of Gothenburg » – fi nancial analysis and accounts » Th e fi rst block contains the Administration Re- port, which according to the Municipal Account- Th e block opens with an in-depth fi nancial analy- ing Act is to be included in the Annual Report. It sis of the City’s accounts. By the municipal City comprises a summary of the Annual Report with a of Gothenburg is meant the committees and the focus on essential parts of the City’s economy and fi nancial administration. Th en in the “fi nancial po- activities. Th e City of Gothenburg Administra- sitions” section an analysis is made of the City of tion Report opens with a strategic analysis and Gothenburg’s major fi nancial commitments in the a summarised fi nancial analysis of the City and form of borrowing, among other things. Th e City’s the combined accounts. A follow-up of the City fi nancial profi le is then summarised. Th e section Council’s prioritised goals is also presented. A is followed by the City’s fi nancial statements, personnel economy report is also made in the Ad- notes and accounting principles. Finally, the block ministration Report. In conclusion, an assessment gives a brief description of the fi nancial results of the future is made, illustrating the opportunities of the district committees and other committees, and risks of the City of Gothenburg on the basis followed by the City’s operational and investment of known conditions. accounts. BLOCK 2 BLOCK 4 Activities of the City of Gothenburg» Combined accounts » – fi nancial analysis and accounts In this block parts of the activities conducted by the City of Gothenburg committees and com- Group accounts are called combined accounts in panies in 2009 are shown.