Pärtel-Peeter Pere, who is also head of the Reform Party's Tallinn branch, highlighted that in previous years, the city's environmental and municipal budgets have been structured in a way that 40 percent of the funds allocated for investments ultimately went unused.

For example, this year's budget set aside around €100 million for investments, but initial forecasts suggest that €35 million will remain unused by the end of the year and will carry over into the next.

Pere explained that, simply put, the city does not have the capacity or personnel to carry out all the planned projects.

"In previous years, the city has taken on too many road and street projects, playgrounds and other outdoor space-related tasks. Most of these projects have been undertaken in no particular order, with some left unfinished and others becoming outdated. Even when external landscape architects or construction project managers are hired, it's still not enough to design, process, manage, coordinate, tender, oversee and ultimately complete obligations worth tens of millions," Pere said.

He further explained that because the department is handling so many projects and plans, infrastructure projects and street work have been delayed. One of the most challenging topics in the upcoming budget talks, according to Pere, will be deciding which of the previously planned projects should be postponed to bring the situation more in line with reality.

"We need to cut about 40 percent of the projects that were previously promised to the public for the coming year. For these projects, we have never had enough money, manpower or both," Pere remarked.

He added that some of the leftover funds could be redirected to other areas, but how much and where the funds will go is still a matter for discussion within the city government.

"It's not as simple as moving €35 million into another category and immediately using it for something else. There are rules governing the use of these sums," Pere noted.

In addition to his own areas of responsibility, Pere emphasized that for the Reform Party, the most important topics in the budget talks are the transition to Estonian-language education, teachers' salaries and social welfare.

Education priority for Eesti 200

Discussions on next year's city budget are scheduled to begin in early October, with the budget expected to be submitted to the city council by the end of the month.

Representatives of various political parties have outlined a series of priorities for the upcoming budget.

For example, Aleksei Jašin, head of Eesti 200's Tallinn branch, emphasized that education is their primary focus, as it is a responsibility shared by both the city and the state.

Jašin pointed out that with the state signaling that teachers' salaries will not increase next year, the city must decide what collective agreements to make with the Tallinn Teachers' Union for the next or following years.

"One agreement could be to reduce teachers' workloads, which would mean hiring more teachers. Alternatively, we could agree to raise the minimum wage for teachers or increase the differentiation fund. This is a matter of negotiation and agreement, but we plan to align this process with the discussions on the 2025 budget. The city government will then have a clearer understanding of the available resources and a realistic basis for negotiations with the teachers' union," said the deputy mayor for education.

In addition to education, Jašin noted that issues related to urban space are also important for the party.

"There is an agreement within the city government to move forward with implementing the central city's cycling strategy. However, this requires funding and investments. For Eesti 200, it is crucial that this process continues as agreed," Jašin added.

Lippus: Major things agreed in the fiscal strategy

Madle Lippus, head of the Social Democrats' Tallinn branch and deputy mayor for urban planning, stated that major budget priorities have already been agreed upon by the parties in the city's budget strategy, which passed its first reading in the city council last week. These include projects like new tram lines on Liivalaia tänav and to Pelguranna.

While some matters were settled in the coalition agreement in the spring, larger investment projects were not, Lippus noted. One of the key focuses will be the creation of new kindergarten and school places, with the education department working alongside the city planning department to prepare concrete proposals.

"The strategic decision has been made that we need more school and kindergarten places. This is somewhat political, but even more so an administrative decision, as it determines where we can achieve these goals most quickly through targeted investments," Lippus explained.

She added that the biggest disagreements between the four coalition parties in the budget discussions are likely to arise over details, such as which specific projects to fund.

"My sense is that the departments have done a good job, having discussed the pros and cons among themselves. I hope the arguments will be well-prepared for the debates that are set to take place," Lippus concluded.

Curbing congestion and conservative social welfare important for Isamaa

Riina Solman, head of Isamaa's Tallinn branch, stated that in addition to Estonian-language education, Isamaa's priorities are mainly the areas for which the city is responsible – namely transport and social welfare.

She emphasized that reducing traffic congestion and increasing investments in public transportation are important for Isamaa.

"We also highly value a kind of conservative social care. When we build something new, we must not neglect what's valuable about the old. With the state cutting extracurricular education and family benefits being reduced, our priority during these difficult times is to increase the benefits of having children," Solman said.

She explained that this means the city must ensure that families with children can easily get around and that extracurricular activities remain accessible.

"We have previously started supporting parent education centers known as Perepesad (family nests) at the state level, and we will do the same in Tallinn. Next year, we will open two new Perepesa centers, providing necessary family counseling and mental health support," Solman added.

She also noted that Isamaa is committed to ensuring that care home fees remain affordable for people.

According to Solman, the agreements between the four parties have been reached very smoothly.

"We have constructive, smart people at the table who don't waste time on idle talk but focus on ensuring the best services for the people of Tallinn. We're not posturing; we're working and finding solutions. It's been a surprise to me how constructively agreements can be reached between the four parties," Solman concluded.

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