Budget of the city of Bad Tölz: Income is increasing, but unfortunately so are expenses

Created: 02/04/2022, 11:00 am

Last year, the city of Bad Tölz collected more trade tax than ever before.

© Monika Skolimowska/dpa

The layman is amazed and the expert is amazed.

The latter in the person of treasurer Hermann Forster, who presented the 2022 budget to the Tölz finance committee.

Of course, he looked back on the Corona year 2021 and reported on an unexpectedly positive budget development.

Bad Tölz - The pandemic has apparently not been able to slow down the economic engine one bit, on the contrary.

Instead of the 7.5 million euros planned for trade tax, the city received around 10.8 million – more than ever before.

"It went much, much better" than feared, says Forster.

By the way: Everything from the region is now also available in our regular Bad Tölz newsletter.

Incidentally, Tölz is no exception.

In 2021, the state capital Munich will almost double its trade tax to 3.3 billion euros.

Good for Munich, even better for the country.

Because then the state capital will not, as many municipalities fear, reduce the cake of state key allocations.

Cities like Tölz are dependent on them, which will budget almost 3.4 million euros for this in 2022.

When it comes to trade tax, they are also braver than in the previous year and expect 9 million euros.

In 2021 Bad Tölz did not need any money from the reserves

Another collateral benefit from the 2021 budget year: a withdrawal of 2.8 million euros was actually planned.

one could have done without that, says Forster, rightly proud.

The money is therefore completely available for the 2022 budget.

Conclusion: The city also has leeway for investments and can complete its major projects (e.g. Jahnschule) without getting into difficulties.

The most important number for a municipality in this context is the investment rate, i.e. the money that is generated and can be invested.

This year it is still an impressive 1.9 million euros.

"But we also afford something that was not foreseeable"

Chamberlains are complainers.

Forster has also internalized the old adage and, despite all the positive numbers, warns of the long-term consequences of the pandemic.

If, for example, state compensation payments are no longer necessary and austerity measures are also announced.

And there are obvious warning signs.

The investment rate of 1.9 million euros was exactly as much as described in the long-term financial plan.

"But that's pure coincidence," says Forster.

In addition to the clear fluctuations in income, there are also those in expenditure.

This also includes the reduced income such as spa and tourist tax and parking fees (together a minus of 190,000 euros).

"But we also afford some things that were not foreseeable," said Forster, mentioning, for example, the trademark process, which has already cost around 50,000 euros.

This year, the city council approved a further 100,000 euros.

The costs for IT maintenance and security have exploded exorbitantly.

Background: Cases of extortion by authorities with stolen data are increasing.

The city has to spend a quarter of a million more than expected this year for IT security.

Increasing the district levy increases the tax significantly

More building maintenance, more personnel, court and attorney costs (Forster: "Unfortunately, it has become common for decisions to be complained about").

In addition, there are higher planning expenses and often sharply increased craftsman bills.

Finally, the tiresome district levy, whose planned increase by 2.2 percentage points did not please the city treasurer.

This increases the taxes from Tölz alone to the district by 0.55 million to an enormous 12.5 million euros.

Overall, the unexpected additional expenses add up to 2.685 million euros.

Mayor Ingo Mehner criticized the principle double increase in district levies.

Because although the district had nominally reduced the district levy by one point last year, thanks to the surprisingly good levy capacity of the municipalities in times of the pandemic, it ultimately earned more than it lost as a result of the reduction.

And now the district levy should also increase nominally.

Overall, the unexpected additional expenses add up to 2.685 million euros.

Blessed is the one who can compensate for such an amount.

"It pays off that we have been budgeting economically for a long time," said Mehner.

As a matter of fact.

The city is able to finance its investment needs of 9.4 million (1.6 million more than planned) thanks to strong revenues and the saved withdrawal from reserves.

In two city council meetings, the measures of the property budget were discussed behind closed doors.

(cs)

More current news from the district of Ebersberg can be found here.