Onsernone TI wants to make second home owners responsible

"We are seeking dialog with the owners of second homes in the valley," says municipal councillor Nadir Cortesi when asked by the Keystone-SDA news agency. As more and more tasks are being shifted from the canton to the municipalities, they have to look for new solutions in order to maintain the most important public services in the valley. After all, with around 80 percent two-apartment owners, the municipality is missing out on important tax money.

This involves projects in which second-home owners can get involved on a voluntary basis. The municipality has selected three areas for this this year: The fire department, the maintenance and extension of hiking trails and the maintenance of defibrillators. The latter also includes the training of volunteers who can intervene quickly in an emergency, as stated on the municipality's website.

There is also a QR code for donations on the website. "Every contribution, regardless of its amount, is an important sign of awareness and participation in the life of the valley," it says. The money goes directly to one of the areas mentioned.

Letter only to owners of vacation homes

An information evening on the initiative was held last Saturday. The room was full to bursting, says Cortesi. However, there are also second home owners who are annoyed that the letter with the motto "Strengthening the sense of community" was only sent to them. Everyone should lend a hand, including the permanent residents, says one vacation home owner. Cortesi replies that the aim at this stage of the project was to give second-home owners direct contact with the municipal council and room for ideas.

Involving the owners of the vacation homes in the development of the valley is important to them, as many of them are second or third generation residents and have strong ties to the region. "Donations come second for us," explains Cortesi, who is responsible for education, public health and spatial planning. The municipal council is also working on a new strategy to attract more young residents. New arrivals could soon be paid a contribution towards an Italian course, for example.

Like all peripheral regions, his valley is also struggling with economic difficulties, says Cortesi. Onsernone has the lowest financial strength of all municipalities in the canton - and this in an area of over 100 square kilometers. By comparison, the city of Zurich covers a good 90 square kilometers. "We lack manpower more than money," explains Cortesi. With the initiative, the municipality wants to channel the residents' love for the valley into "concrete channels".