Comment: Open debate on all major projects

Created: 2022-12-10, 08:00

By: Hans Moritz

Hans Moritz, Editor-in-Chief of the Erdinger/Dorfener Anzeiger.

© Studio Mohr Erding

Erding faces hard times financially.

But the most expensive projects are yet to come.

Editor-in-Chief Hans Moritz comments on what that means for politics.

The city of Erding has to clear its high edge, tax increases are in the room.

The duchy's financial situation is worse than it has been for decades.

The fact that the two fire brigade stations do not even appear in the budget this year shows how bad it is.

We remember: CSU parliamentary group leader Burkhard Köppen stated not so long ago that he assumes that both will be in place during this electoral term – which ends in 2026.

In view of this situation, for which there is no improvement in sight at the moment, the city council cannot avoid a general debate on future investments - ideally when the budget is passed later this year.

Because if you look at what Erding has planned for the coming years, you have to look into your wallet and ask yourself: What do you actually dream about at night?”

As is well known, Mayor Max Gotz wants to buy the air base area.

350 hectares - that will be a three-digit million amount.

The municipal share of the northern bypass will amount to more than 20 million euros.

The new air base station should also be seven to eight figures for Erding.

At the moment this seems completely unfinanceable if the city council does not want to leave future generations with a mountain of debt that will clearly tower over the city tower.

Is there a solution to this dilemma, after all none of the projects is a superfluous pipe dream?

The city could set up a municipal development company such as the Zweckverband Geowärme, which initially has to take out huge loans, but which can be repaid over the years through the use of military premises, for example, and later (as with geothermal energy) could bring in hefty profits.

The city council must also conduct the fundamental debate as to whether it should not sell parts of the air base to investors after all.

Municipal planning authority remains with the city.

Or, and that would be the best solution, it doesn't get that bad.

A public budget only contains what is to be spent and received in the next year.

The deadly bitter expression is every Chamberlain's poker face.

First of all, set the expenses as high as possible and the income as low as possible, then it is guaranteed to be better later.

That's how it's been going in Erding for years.

And: Even if there is talk of a recession everywhere, the economy is booming at the moment, despite rising costs, much louder than any economic wise predicted.

With 1.9 percent unemployment, the labor market is acting as if there were no crisis.

Nevertheless, it is probably incontrovertible: there will be less money in the future.

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