Otterfing: Three million euros from the piggy bank

Created: 01/08/2022, 08:22 AM

From: Andreas Höger

Expensive, but future-proof: In 2021, Otterfing invested in a third drinking water well, among other things, despite the tight financial situation.

© Municipality of Otterfing

The trade tax collapsed by half, a high district levy was transferred: Financially, the year 2021 was not an easy one for the Otterfing community.

The chamberlain now took stock.

Otterfing

- The business tax has fallen by half, a high district levy has been transferred - and yet some investments have been made. “The budget year 2021 was one of the most difficult of the last 20 years,” stated Otterfing's treasurer Peter Kirschenhofer. It didn't turn out as bad as feared, but the community's reserve has shrunk by three million euros.

Misfortunes never come singly. In 2021 the Otterfinger household was hit by a stick. The departure of a large trade tax payer met with trade tax underpayments by local companies, caused by the corona pandemic. In addition, the tax force of 2019, when the trade tax was twice as abundant, required a historically high district levy. Since the municipality no longer wanted to wait for important investments, such as water supply, treasurer Peter Kirschenhofer had to open the money box as planned, as he now explained to the municipal council at the end of the year.

"The situation is tense," emphasized Kirschenhofer, but there could be no question of financial difficulties. In between times in the year it "looked very gloomy in terms of tax revenue," as mayor Michael Falkenhahn (SPD) also suggested. In the meantime, however, the tax inflows have leveled out so that around 175,000 euros more can remain in the reserves than planned. Nevertheless: Of the 5.5 million euros in the piggy bank, only 2.5 million are left.

The Free State helps with the corona effects, which, according to Kirschenhofer, compensates for around half of the trade tax shortfalls. The municipality took in only 1.4 million euros from companies this year - in 2019 it was over three million. "We had to nibble on this record year this year," says Kirschenhofer. Because the district levy to the Miesbach district is calculated from the tax force of the previous year and thus reached a record level in the year that was plagued by the collapsing trade tax. One consolation: The Otterfinger citizens earned well in 2021, the share of income tax remained constant at 3.9 million euros.

Despite the shaky income, the community shouldered some investments this year, emphasized Kirschenhofer. The expansion of the water supply (third well, pipeline to Wettlkam) devoured a good 1.5 million euros; Particularly annoying were the water damage in the school gymnasium (650,000 euros) and two additional payments for long-term measures: 150,000 euros for the development of Hienlohestrasse (industrial area) and 380,000 euros for the two new railway bridges. The municipality spent a good 340,000 euros on the fire brigade this year, of which 285,000 euros went to the new TLF 3000 fire engine.

Two new loans had to help, but the chamberlain took out them at very low interest rates;

in some cases the community even pays back less than it gets.

Project-related for the renovation of the gymnasium and the expansion of the water supply, the treasurer has so far called off 1.6 million euros from these credit lines.

In spite of everything, Kirschenhofer believes the community is financially well positioned to remain able to act: “The investments to be made this year and in the following years are inevitable.

to avoid an investment backlog. "