A special committee in Norway's Innlandet county has concluded that salary advance loans made by the county director to the county mayor were inappropriate but did not constitute corruption. The employer committee found that County Director Tron Bamrud lacked proper authorization to approve the salary advances to County Mayor Thomas Breen, which totaled well over 100,000 Norwegian kroner.
The investigation revealed that Bamrud approved multiple salary advances to Breen without presenting the matter for political consideration as a principle question. The committee noted that tax reporting of these advances should have been properly assessed, even for smaller amounts. Both officials' impartiality has been questioned given their respective roles as decision-maker and recipient of the funds.
This case represents a rare instance of top-level financial dealings within Norwegian local government. The practice of salary loans between county leadership appears unknown in other Norwegian counties, raising questions about financial controls and transparency in local administration.
Norwegian county governments operate with strict regulations about financial delegations and political oversight. The committee acknowledged there might be room for interpretation in the delegation regulations but maintained the director should have sought political approval for such precedent-setting decisions.
The controversy emerges against a backdrop of existing tensions within Innlandet county administration. Both officials have been central figures in the contentious school closure process that saw six schools shut down earlier this year. The county director previously received a separate complaint about inappropriate behavior during heated meetings about the school closures.
The whistleblower who initially reported the salary advances, Chief of Staff Hjalmar Nørstebø-Solbjør, expressed satisfaction that the investigation confirmed the director lacked proper authorization. He declined to comment on the committee's overall findings but emphasized that the county council holds ultimate employer responsibility for any potential sanctions.
Norwegian local government experts note that such cases test public trust in political institutions. The substantial salary advances to an official already earning 1.2 million kroner annually raise natural questions about financial management practices at the highest levels of county administration.
The committee made several recommendations for improving financial controls, including clarifying regulations about salary advances for elected officials and establishing fixed payment dates for compensation. They also called for measures to restore trust and workplace safety within the organization.
The case will receive final consideration at an extraordinary county council meeting in early December. The outcome could have implications for financial oversight mechanisms across Norwegian local government, particularly regarding relationships between administrative and political leadership.
What makes this situation particularly notable is the combination of financial irregularities with existing organizational tensions. The county director's previous behavioral complaint and the controversial school closures create a complex backdrop for addressing the salary advance issues. This suggests broader organizational challenges beyond the specific financial transactions.
The committee's findings highlight the delicate balance between administrative discretion and political oversight in Norwegian local government. While stopping short of recommending sanctions, their report underscores the need for clearer financial protocols and better communication between administrative and political leadership.