Mayor programme

Here you will find the mayor's programme prepared at the beginning of the current council term.

Introduction

Tuusula is entering its third term under the mayor model. During the two previous terms, the municipality has invested heavily in reforming its service network and, at the same time, has grown more strongly than expected thanks to its attractiveness. As part of structural changes, social and health services have been transferred to welfare areas, and similarly, from the beginning of 2025, employment services will be transferred to the municipalities’ responsibility.

This mayoral programme has been drawn up taking into account developments and experiences during the municipality’s two previous council terms, as well as future economic prospects and forecasts.

Education

Tuusula is a large and structurally diverse municipality consisting of three centres and the surrounding villages. The service network must also remain diverse, based on the values of the local school, with multi-purpose buildings in the centres and smaller units in the villages working together to form a functional and equitable whole. The preservation of smaller units will be examined on a unit-by-unit basis, taking into account their vitality and economic indicators (functionality of facilities and investments, teaching resources) in relation to the aforementioned local school values.

A key theme in the well-being of children and young people is healthy and pedagogically functional facilities in both early childhood education and teaching. We are committed to implementing the Lahela school and daycare centre project, which is currently in the planning stage of the service network reform, and we are drawing up a plan for the Jokela service network that includes a construction schedule. The units under construction will be designed to be of a suitable size in accordance with population forecasts and growth targets.

Resources for education and culture will be allocated in such a way that group sizes remain appropriate in both early childhood education and teaching. This will enable a high-quality and safe environment for growth and basic education for all. We will ensure that there are sufficient resources for growth and lea ing support when the lea ing support reform comes into force in autumn 2025.

A safe environment for growth and lea ing is a fundamental right for everyone. Tuusula is committed to educational equality and non-discrimination from early childhood education to adult education. As part of the Child-Friendly Municipality model, we will increase measures that support participation, community spirit and well-being during the council term and continue to take determined action to prevent bullying. We are investing in the prevention of exclusion and addressing the increase in anxiety and prolonged school absences by supporting the development of more effective and impactful support measures.

Tuusula is a pioneer in education and culture, networking to share its expertise while lea ing from others. We encourage inte ationalisation in the development of our own activities and in the building of cooperation networks.

We will safeguard the operating conditions for liberal adult education at both Tuusula Adult Education Centre and Jokela Adult Education Centre. We will invest in the development of Swedish-language early childhood education and basic education. The Education and Training Development Plan approved by the Council is a key document that guides the allocation of resources and the development of activities.

Culture, leisure and recreational opportunities

We invest in regional and targeted youth work. We actively cooperate with the private and third sectors as well as neighbouring municipalities in order to provide diverse cultural services, commercial services and recreational opportunities throughout Tuusula. We promote tourism opportunities in the Tuusulanjärvi and Pohjois-Tuusula areas and continue to develop the excellent recreational and sports opportunities they offer.

In addition to the cultural history of the areas, we also bring living culture to Tuusula as a factor in its appeal and attractiveness. We support the cultural offerings of Kellokoski Ruukki and the hospital area, as well as Jokela Brick Factory.

We will increase cooperation with the third sector to offer new services and leisure opportunities to residents. We will develop leisure opportunities for children and young people and consider options for reducing the costs of leisure activities.

Sports and exercise opportunities are being developed throughout the municipality. We will continue to develop the Hyrylä Sports Centre and sports facilities in Northe Tuusula, making them even more attractive.

Growth target

We are aiming for controlled annual population growth of 300–400 residents on average. This goal will be pursued through diverse land use planning and housing production throughout Tuusula, as well as by focusing on factors that attract and retain residents: good services for all ages, early childhood education, education, safety, the environment, a pleasant living environment and efficient transport. We aim to increase the attractiveness and demand for zoned plots by intensifying marketing measures in Jokela and Kellokoski.

Economy

We are committed to promoting investments in the service network plan according to the established schedule. In order to balance the economy, other investment needs and their timing are carefully assessed. In our scheduling, we strive to take construction cost trends into account as much as possible. We also consider building maintenance in our investments.

We aim to quickly dispose of underutilised properties in accordance with previous decisions and are identifying additional properties that the municipality can dispose of. We take good care of all municipal real estate assets and address any repair needs without delay. We make decisions that boost vitality so that the debt generated by investments can be managed without compromising our attractive and appealing services.

We aim to manage the municipality’s finances by means other than tax increases. On the basis of balanced finances, we will implement the other objectives of the mayor’s programme and continue to keep Tuusula’s operating budget in balance.

We will implement a new economic stabilisation programme and promote the streamlining of operations by utilising functioning markets. Duplication of work will be eliminated and job descriptions will be developed to improve operational efficiency.

During the council term, it is particularly important to ensure the cost-effectiveness of infrastructure investments and to monitor costs. Timely investments ensure that the tax revenue generated by the investments is realised as quickly as possible. We actively monitor the sale of plots, and the investment programme will be refined as necessary based on the information collected.

More vitality

We promote the growth of vitality throughout Tuusula. We monitor the effects of the land policy programme approved during the last council term and update the programme as necessary.

We aim to achieve higher self-sufficiency in jobs than at present, and we also assess the employment impact of projects when selecting them.

Tuusula is a municipality dominated by detached houses, and we are building on our strengths. We will continue to focus on detached house construction. Our goal is to transfer an average of 100 small house plots each year. Tuusula must offer a wide range of options for living and residing in different life situations and stages. Efficient and agile land use planning and sufficient resourcing are key to achieving the goals of the mayor’s programme.

Building site opportunities in accordance with local master plans for sparsely populated areas should be permitted and may be transferred across local master plan boundaries. We promote the conversion of properties connected to the water and sewerage network into permanent dwellings.

The municipality acquires land for employment areas through voluntary transactions or by entering into land use agreements with landowners. We promote the zoning and infrastructure development of business areas marked in the master plan as quickly as possible in areas where demand is high. We take into account the different needs of businesses of all sizes.

The infrastructure construction of new areas must be cost-effective, and we are looking for ways to shorten the time between the legalisation of the plan and the completion of infrastructure construction so that the areas can be built more quickly. We aim to build green areas as early as possible so that the areas become more pleasant to live in more quickly. We plan the plans and set the planning regulations and building guidelines in such a way that natural areas are left in residential areas.

Transport

Tuusula is a municipality dominated by detached houses, where private car use is a necessity for many families. We oppose congestion charges/road tolls. Sufficient parking spaces must be reserved for all new buildings. The road and street network must be maintained, and the light traffic network must be developed to promote safer mobility.

We are developing the HSL bus route to better serve the residents of Tuusula. The mobility of municipal residents in the changing service network of the welfare area is being developed. We are promoting connections between Hyvinkää Hospital and the airport in autumn 2024 in accordance with the statement issued by the municipal board. Direct connections to Kamppi are also being investigated.

We are preparing for the improvement in public transport services in Jokela in 2028 brought about by the additional tracks on the main line.

Services

We are committed to promoting the well-being, equality, equity and health of our residents. The municipality takes into account changes in the age structure of the population in its service provision and develops services for older people to enable them to live safer and more comfortable lives. Different age groups are actively involved in planning the municipality’s diverse range of services.

We are developing preventive work to cover all areas of activity. The role of the Wellbeing and Health Promotion Committee will be strengthened and its tasks will be defined more precisely as a body coordinating the wellbeing of municipal residents.

We want to develop Tuusula as a business-friendly municipality. This is reflected in the high-quality support and information services offered to businesses. The municipality must be an active enabler when a company wants to locate in Tuusula or expand its operations. We are rapidly promoting already decided employment areas and ensuring the continued availability of employment sites. We regularly monitor the smooth running of the permit processes.

We are an active influencer in the implementation of service development in the Central Uusimaa employment area and Keusote. Our goal is to ensure that the residents of Tuusula have access to effective, impactful and diverse services, and to ensure that the right factors and appropriate expertise are in place to promote employment for employers in Tuusula.

Development of municipal functions

Technology is changing society at an ever-increasing pace. In particular, the growing role of artificial intelligence and robotics must be taken into account when developing municipal operations. The public sector must continuously develop its operations and increase work productivity. We promote the adoption of agile methods and digitalisation in municipal organisations, while ensuring that, alongside digital methods, it is also possible to conduct business and obtain information in traditional ways.

Tuusula is an attractive employer that takes care of its employees’ training and professional growth as well as providing a healthy and safe working environment. A good employer image helps in recruiting qualified personnel. We invest in good leadership and staff retention.

We will continue to develop municipal operations in cooperation with other municipalities, companies and organisations. We will focus on developing statutory and key strategic operations. We will ensure that the municipality is adequately prepared for possible exceptional circumstances.

Sustainable development

We take climate impacts into account in all our decision-making. In its own activities, the municipality must seek cost-effective ways to reduce its carbon footprint and, in its procurement, favour products and services whose
production generates as few emissions as possible. We promote sustainable development in municipal activities, and Tuusula is committed to sustainable development goals. We take into account biodiversity, our natural environment and recreational needs, as well as the opportunities offered by the circular economy.

The measures implemented under the Tuusula Climate Programme drawn up during the previous council term must be evaluated, and the programme will be updated as necessary during the new council term.

The mayor model and opportunities for municipal residents to participate

We are committed to the mayor model, its further development and open democratic decision-making. The measures for developing the mayor model’s operating practices, as set out in the administrative regulations, will be implemented and their effectiveness will be evaluated and further developed during the council term.

During the current council term, Tuusula has joined the Child-Friendly Municipality model. During the council term, we will consistently implement the action plan and take children’s rights to
a good life into account in our decision-making.

Local residents must be consulted when significant changes are made, and preliminary impact assessments are a key tool in this process. We examine a number of different impacts simultaneously and comprehensively. When preparing and making decisions, we take into account how they will affect residents, the environment, the organisation and its staff, and the economy.

Tuusula is one of Finland’s leading municipalities in terms of resident participation. We will continue to develop opportunities for municipal residents to participate in the future. The reorganisation of development networks and the future operating model will
be decided at the beginning of the council term. Efforts will be made to improve the effectiveness of influential bodies in the preparatory stage of matters.

We develop structures that strengthen community spirit and participation among all residents. When organising events, we actively collaborate with local businesses, associations and communities.

The leading and overarching theme of my third term as mayor is cooperation and building trust between all stakeholders and actors. Together, we are committed to openness and mutual respect in the preparation of matters and decision-making. Together, we can achieve more.

This content has been translated using AI