Salaspils

The city is suffering a severe economic crisis, and its impact on the municipal budget is heavy. The social budget of the city has been doubled from 2008 to 2009, which has caused the cut in other expenditures, and has led to a cut of 15 % in municipal salaries.

The city needs to :

-reinforce its economic basis,

-develop social housing and reduce the cost of heating,

-improve the involvement of the Russian community.

The main challenges of the city are linked to the impact of the crisis and to the reduction of financial support. Some very important programs have been delayed, such as the construction of a third new high school, very modern and ecological. There is also a problem concerning the building of new houses and especially public or social housing, as the municipality cannot do it, although there are only 200 social houses for 486 poor families.

The municipality intend to engage in a process to define social inclusion and well-being for all, involving largely the different parts of the population, especially those suffering the risk of social exclusion, such as the unemployed, poor families, the elderly, large families and single mothers.

There is already in Salaspils a high degree of cooperation and partnership between the municipality and the different actors and representatives of the population which will faciltate the implementation of the approach of coresponsibility for well-being of all.