On 19 March, the Valga Municipal Council adopted the 2026 budget of Valga Municipality, which focuses on the well-being of residents, the overall stable functioning of the municipality, maintaining the quality of services and various development projects.
The budget of Valga municipality for 2026 is planned to have EUR 29.2 million in revenue from the main activities and EUR 28.9 million in expenditure on the main activities. Tax revenues and state subsidies account for the largest share of revenues. Opportunities to obtain additional financing from projects are actively pursued. Personal income tax revenue is estimated at around EUR 14.3 million, almost half of the revenue from operating activities. Total receipts from the state equalisation and subsidy fund amount to approximately EUR 12.2 million, which represents about 41.81TTP3T of operating revenue. The remainder comes from the sale of goods and services, operating grants and other revenue.
The budget has been drawn up on a conservative and prudent basis, but with the clear aim of ensuring the functioning of the municipality and avoiding excessive risks, while at the same time pursuing developments that create value in the long term.
Mati Kikkas, chairman of Valga Municipal Council, stressed that the budget reflects the need for a balance between today's opportunities and future needs.
„The economic situation is forcing us to be realistic and prudent, but this does not mean giving up on development. We have made it a priority to ensure that Valga municipality is stably run, our services work and people do not feel insecure. At the same time, we need to continue with investments that will help us to be a strong municipality in ten years“ time," said Kikkas.
The structure of the budget expenditure clearly reflects a people-centred approach. The largest share is for education, with around €13.8 million planned. The social sector will receive more than €6 million, covering care for the elderly, support for families and a wide range of social services.
Ensuring a safe living environment is also essential. The budget includes resources for support activities, crisis preparedness and community safety.
According to Mart Kas, Mayor of Valga Municipality, the budget is about people's everyday well-being.
„The budget is not something abstract. It's a shared agreement on the day-to-day life of our municipality. Each budget line is about people's livelihoods, their sense of security and their opportunities. We want Valga municipality to be a place where it is good to live today and where people want to stay tomorrow. Our aim is that people feel safe here, receive the services they need and see and feel that the municipality is developing. Even in difficult circumstances, we must not lose focus on people and the living environment,“ said Kase.
In 2026, Valga municipality will continue with a number of important investments totalling more than EUR 4.5 million. Major projects include the modernisation of the Valga swimming pool, the construction of a new near-zero energy building for the Tsirguliina community centre and energy efficiency improvements at the Lüllemäe Elementary School.
The budget has been prepared on the basis of the principle of sustainability - the municipality's current expenditure must be covered by the current year's revenue and the debt burden must be kept under control. In 2026, the municipality will repay over EUR 1.59 million in principal and EUR 224.3 thousand in interest.
The budget was based on the municipality's development plan until 2035+, the budget strategy and national economic forecasts, taking into account both the uncertain economic environment and the increasing liabilities of local government.