Aarhus politicians spending hundreds of thousands on trips while announcing budget cuts

Municipality spent 1,634,680 kroner on trips abroad in just 15 months

Lucie Rychla

Last week, Aarhus Municipality announced huge budget cuts for the next few years, but it has since transpired that local politicians are spending an average of 100,000 kroner a month on trips abroad.

According to Metroxpress, the municipality has spent 1,634,680 kroner in the past 15 months.

Sending the entire committee
The most expensive trip, a six-day visit to San Francisco for 14 representatives of the municipality’s Health and Care Committee, cost 390,868 kroner.

Other municipal representatives spent 296,099 kroner on visiting New York, while a trip to Chicago for 12 members of the Culture Committee cost 250,428 kroner.

Use Skype instead
Lars Boje Mathiesen, a Liberal Alliance politician at the municipality, criticised the huge travel bills.

“It is too expensive,” he said.

“Why can’t we use Skype or send just one person, who can then give a presentation to the others?”

 

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