Happiness, gratefulness and pride were on the mind of Reykjavík mayor Jón Gnarr today when he introduced the new city budget at a press conference. “I’m very happy that we’re announcing this here today, I’m hugely grateful for all the work that has gone into this budget and I’m mighty proud and am feeling good.”

Jón said that current climate is unlike that which the city faced last year: “Back then I stood here in exactly the same shoes except I had a knot in my stomach and one could say full up with terror. We naturally came into this full of good promises, and we intended to do something nice and constructive for the city and we ended up going straight into an extensive and difficult budget plan.”

There was also the difficult financial position of Orkaveita Reykjavíkur, the energy company that supplies the city with its electricity, and it was also the third year in a row that cutbacks had to be made to the city budget. “The budget plan last year tested me so much that I more or less began crying in public. I haven’t started crying at work for this budget plan.”

“If you take a look at this budget and read over it well then you can read from it that Reykjavík has got through the storm, calm has come and we have got to calm waters and bright times and opportunities lie ahead.”

Source and image: mbl.is