The corona pandemic is shaping the city of Wolfratshausen's budget.
The mayor sees no scope for new wishes.
Wolfratshausen
- Against the votes of the Greens representatives Dr.
Hans Schmidt and Rudi Seibt, the city council approved the budget for the current year on Wednesday.
Since the economic long-term consequences of the corona pandemic cannot be foreseen, one must look to the future with “great caution”, said Mayor Klaus Heilinglechner (BVW).
When planning investments, “high risks” would have to be weighed up.
There is currently no scope for “new wishes”, according to the town hall chief.
Tax forecasts were too optimistic
Due to the infection protection ordinances, the spokesmen for the city council factions did not comment on the budget draft, which is otherwise customary.
The details had been discussed in private as well as in a public meeting.
Chamberlain Peter Schöfmann had informed the citizens' representatives at the beginning of February that the corona virus will leave clear traces in the city bag.
Instead of ten million euros - as budgeted - Schöfmann is only reckoning with 8.5 million euros in trade tax this year.
The estimate of the income tax share that the municipality can claim for itself also turned out to be too optimistic.
And: Due to the high financial strength in 2019, according to the mayor, no so-called key allocations are to be expected from the Free State this year.
The largest item of expenditure, Heilinglechner reported, is the district levy.
Almost 12.9 million euros have to be transferred to the district.
The two main reasons for this are the significantly increased "district and hospital expenditures" that the district has to shoulder.
Personnel costs in the town hall have also risen - by a good 400,000 euros to a total of around nine million euros.
This is due, among other things, to wage increases, five additional jobs created and promotions or higher groupings.
Infrastructure “must not go to waste
In order to remain able to act, 865,000 euros flow from the property budget to the administrative budget (total volume: 41.8 million euros), and the municipality is taking another 2.5 million euros from the savings sock.
There are no plans to take out a loan this year.
The second good news: Although the Loisachstadt is financially not a bed of roses, the mountain of debt will be reduced to 7.7 million euros by the end of 2021.
Since the public infrastructure "must not go to ruin", so the town hall chief, investments will be made despite declining income.
Heilinglechner cited the renovation of the roof of the triple sports hall in the city center, the purchase of a new vehicle for the Wolfratshaus fire brigade, the renovation of the Rathauscafé and the municipal building at Untermarkt 10 as well as the expansion of the fire equipment store in Weidach as examples.
After a "personal statement", the city council's environmental officer, Dr.
Hans Schmidt, against the draft budget.
He recalled that the panel declared a climate emergency a year and a half ago.
The council has imposed on itself the duty to take “all future decisions” with a view to climate protection.
Now, says Schmidt, he has to state that in the 2021 budget “not a cent will be made available for climate protection than before the climate emergency decision”.
This is "a completely wrong signal to the citizens of our city".
(cce)
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