As of: February 1, 2024, 12:19 p.m
By: Günter Hiel
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The community of Haar has to turn over every euro twice.
(Symbolic image) © Oliver Berg
The community of Haar is condemned to save money - and is now canceling the Christmas bonus for the socially disadvantaged.
"That's a shame.
“I’m ashamed,” said Traudl’s father (SPD).
Haar – When the last rescue attempt failed, Traudl Vater (SPD), mouthpiece of the needy in Haar, burst out: “That’s a shame.
“I’m ashamed,” she hurled at her fellow council members during the budget debate.
A narrow majority (14:12) rejected the Greens' proposal to budget 40,000 euros for the Christmas bonus, which the municipality has previously granted to social welfare recipients as a voluntary benefit, 50 euros per person.
No longer possible given the precarious budget situation.
The majority did not want to risk that the district office could therefore reject the budget as inadmissible.
However, the social welfare office is sensitized to find unbureaucratic solutions in emergency situations, said Mayor Andreas Bukowski (CSU) and assured: “We will not allow social coldness to set in here.”
The adult education center is also hit hard.
Not only does it have to cope with a subsidy cut of five percent, which amounts to around 34,000 euros, but it also does not receive the requested “pandemic surcharge” of 50,000 euros.
The Greens, SPD and Peter Siemsen (FDP) had tried to reverse this “double cut” and only remove the 50,000 euros, but this motion also failed to find a majority of 12:14.
Neighborhood assistance and music schools will also be cut by five percent, amounting to around 22,000 euros each, while the other clubs will suffer cuts of up to 50 percent.
Reserves are shrinking
All of this because Haar has had a structural deficit since the pharmaceutical company MSD, the largest trade tax payer, moved to Berg am Laim.
Since then, tax revenue has been missing in the double-digit million range.
For the current year, the treasurer expects trade tax to be around 10.5 million euros - but Haar has to pay a district levy of 30.6 million euros to the district.
In order to cover the total budget of around 115 million euros, the municipality has to take 24.7 million euros from its reserves.
Then there are only 19.5 million left in the pot.
Haar has postponed all investments except for the construction of a bus station, a daycare center and participation in the geothermal energy project for the communities of Vaterstetten, Haar, Zorneding and Grasbrunn;
also the new construction of the Dino youth leisure center, which disappointed the Dino delegation in the hall.
But all factions promise: As soon as it can be financed, the dinosaur will be built.
“We must not take excessive measures”
SPD parliamentary group leader Thomas Fäth assesses the situation as “serious, but not dramatic”.
“We must not go too far with our measures and cause irreparable damage to clubs or institutions,” he warned.
Mike Seckinger (Greens) praised the participation in geothermal energy, but regretted that “the poorest people are also making savings.”
CSU boss Dietrich Keymer called for a change in mentality.
“Everything that is desirable is no longer possible;
and everything in the highest quality and, if possible, at no cost to the users.”
It is clear to everyone: Haar needs more income, a powerful boost in commercial development, as Peter Siemsen (FDP) put it.
“The companies must feel that they are welcome here,” said Mayor Bukowski, including those in the manufacturing sector.
Only by closing will it be possible to get hair out of the valley.
“We will become economically strong again,” assured Bukowski.
Except for Traudl's father and Peter Schießl, both SPD, everyone agreed to the budget.
Further news from Haar and the Munich district can be found here.