Name: Anders Vahtola
Year of birth: 1977
Municipality: Kaarina
Town: Kaarina
Title: Business Director
Phone: 0504631351

Anders
Vahtola

Kaarina

"Municipal elections 2025"

I moved to Kaarina three years ago, and municipal politics is new to me. Now, in Kaarina, I see opportunities to make a difference and contribute to a growing and positive community.

My experience in commerce has given me a strong basis in strategic thinking and resource management. Combined with my long background in the third sector, I have the necessary tools to work for the municipality’s development in an economical and sustainable way.

Family and the local community are central to me. Our children’s school and sports interests have strengthened my connection to Kaarina, and in addition, my wife was born here - we feel at home. It will also be nice to make new friends through this commitment.

My hobbies: Guitar, motorcycle, cooking, reading

Important political topics

Children, Youth, and Families

For 20 years, I have been involved in volunteering (Folkhälsan, Hem och Skola) and have participated in the planning and execution of activities typical for these organizations. I have enjoyed this work and, at the same time, recognized that it is the municipality that bears the costs. I have insight and a good understanding of how resources should be allocated so that families, young people, and children can thrive and feel well. Our everyday life is our children's childhood.

Read more about our election platform ›

Municipal and urban vitality

Kaarina has a strong inflow of new citizens, and it is crucial that families with children continue to move here in the future. A municipality needs revenue such as corporate taxes, which is why it is important that businesses want to operate here. A part of the local community's vitality and success must be based on good cooperation within the council groups. I can contribute to making the collaboration even better.

Read more about our election platform ›

Thriving citizens

Well-being is a complex word and has different meanings for everyone. The home city is an important stage where our lives take place. The city can build and strengthen structures for learning, safety, municipal functions, and provide good services to all its citizens. A well-functioning everyday life is also a day of well-being. Let us manage the city's resources so that daily life runs smoothly.

Read more about our election platform ›

Candidate's answers in election machine

1 / 11

Early childhood education should be free for everyone.

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The individual right to free early childhood education is very good, but I do not think it should be used in a way that the older child is in daycare all day while the younger one is at home with a parent.

2 / 11

Schools should prioritize traditional textbooks over digital learning materials.

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Learning materials are only one part of teaching. Times change, and with them, students, teachers, and educational materials. By focusing on assessment and coaching learning it self, attention can be directed to more important aspects than just learning materials. I see particularly great potential for the use of digital material in Swedish-language schools. It’s a possibility of providing the best content in Swedish.

3 / 11

One of the municipality’s most important tasks is to invest in sports facilities and opportunities for exercise and recreation.

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It is precisely these domains that shape children\'s childhood and young people\'s youth. That municipal spaces also inspire all of us to exercise improves overall public health!

4 / 11

It is important to provide all residents with equal opportunities for cultural activities.

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Equal opportunity is a good thing, and for example, free mobility with a wheelchair at venues is a given. However, culture cannot be produced for free, and it is not maybe the citys primary task to cover all the costs. One way to make culture accessible in the municipality – and why not also equal – is to provide spaces for exhibitions or beaches for concerts.

5 / 11

The municipality should introduce or improve opportunities for residents to influence how municipal funds are used through participatory budgeting.

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The third sector is already a part of this. Families know best what kind of afternoon activities their children want to participate in. Therefore, it should continue to be first budgeted by the target group, then approved by the city, and finally implemented within the budget framework.

6 / 11

The municipality should invest in public transportation.

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We moved to Kaarina also for logistical reasons. I admit that I don’t use the bus very often myself, but I know that my children do to get to school or the store. Public transportation can surely be improved, but I think it already works well.

7 / 11

It should be possible to be a resident in more than one municipality, for example, through digital municipal citizenship.

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This is probably a question of wanting to live at the summer cottage for taxation reasons. I might find it a bit unfair if one municipality takes care of healthcare and the other collects the taxes. Perhaps a digital future world could share the costs and revenues better in the future. Municipalities are surely making wise decisions regarding this matter already today.

8 / 11

The municipality should better facilitate the expansion of renewable energy, such as solar and wind power.

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It is a quite fresh vision that the city itself would build solar or wind power for the benefit of its citizens. If the municipality wants this type of renewable energy, it is important that landowners are allowed to establish such facilities on their land or sea areas. I think all the reeds at our beaches would be perfect raw material for biogas production.

9 / 11

The municipality should mix more housing types in planning than is currently the case.

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I think this is all ok in Kaarina.

10 / 11

The municipality should introduce anonymous recruitment.

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I am unsure how references can be checked in an anonymous recruitment process. Therefore, I prefer other transparent and objective ways to make the most suitable hiring decision. Anonymous recruitment could be seen as the direct opposite of nepotism - if I only had these two options, I would choose anonymous recruitment.

11 / 11

If you could give a superpower to your future political leader, what would it be?

The ability to instantly purify the environment and stop climate change.
Invisibility to reveal and combat corruption at all levels.
Time travel to correct historical mistakes and improve the future.
Infinite wisdom to make perfect decisions on all political matters.

I would give the ability to empower people as a super power.

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