As of: February 12, 2024, 9:55 a.m
By: Josef Hornsteiner
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It brings the community a lot of money: the passion.
But the community will also have to save money on its sanctuary.
© am/OH
The municipalities are now also feeling the effects of the federal government's fatal financial policy firsthand.
Since every cent has to be saved, people in Oberammergau even attack the holy cow: the Passion.
It is already clear that there will be no money available for a new production in 2030.
Oberammergau – The good news first: The money that is in the Oberammergau municipal treasury should last until the next Passion, despite the crisis-ridden time.
Treasurer Stefan Schmid is sure of that.
But the million-dollar deficit at the Garmisch-Partenkirchen Clinic is putting not only the district in Oberammergau in trouble.
That's why there's the bad news: The municipality will have to save a lot and will most likely even have to touch its holy cow, the Passion Play: Because it is already clear that there is a need for a new production of the play about the suffering and death of Jesus in 2030 the money will be missing.
The local council met on Wednesday evening and, among other things, had to decide on the 2024 budget, the economic and financial plan until 2027.
However, the theme of Passion, especially the new production, is not included in the plans.
Only the planning services for the canopies of the city streets and the renovation of the mobile roof in the theater.
“It is too early, so the wrong time to talk about it,” said Mayor Andreas Rödl (CSU).
The financial plan only extends until 2027, i.e. three years before the next vow game.
“Everything we decide now has no legal basis whatsoever.” Rödl doesn’t want to vote on “castles in the air” that are not yet binding.
PWG wants to talk about the passion budget for 2030 now
With this, the town hall boss responded to criticism from the Non-Party Voters' Association (PWG), which showed great incomprehension that a new production is not yet included in the financial plan.
“We have a lot of little toads to swallow, so we have to swallow a big one too,” said Michael Fux.
He would therefore like to bring the topics of passion and new production onto the agenda.
“After all, the future management should be informed now that we will not have the money for an expensive new production.” According to Fux, the first discussions are already taking place behind closed doors.
The PWG therefore voted unanimously against the economic, financial and budget plan as well as against the budget statutes.
It is too early to talk about budget cuts now
This step has “nothing at all to do with the work of the treasurer,” emphasized Fux.
“We have an absolutely worthy person who guided us very well through the many discussions.” The fact that the PWG torpedoed the budget vote did not sit well with the other factions.
Although the plan and statutes were approved by a majority, many criticized the attitude of those without a party.
“We have so many construction sites and have to implement so much.
It is important that we support and approve the budget,” said Florian Schwarzfischer (BIO), among others.
He also thinks it's too early to talk about Passion's budget cuts, etc.
“We simply have to save money and that will become an important issue.
But not now.” Rödl also knows that the costs of the passion will come into focus in 2030.
“We can’t get past it.”
We have a lot of little toads to swallow, so we have to swallow a big one too.
Michael Fux, Chairman of the PWG
A term therefore shaped financial planning: blocking notice.
It would have a good chance of becoming the bad word of the year.
Among other things, the planning services for the canopies of the city streets and the renovation of the theater's mobile roof, which are estimated to cost a total of 260,000 euros, were blocked.
“The approval of these approaches can only take place after further consultation and resolution,” explained treasurer Schmid.
“If the blocking notices remain in place, the financial resources will be saved in 2024 and will be available in subsequent years.”