As of: February 28, 2024, 11:59 a.m
By: Klaus Kuhn
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The dilapidated Strogen Bridge at the roundabout is facing major inspection, which is causing budgetary concerns.
© Klaus Kuhn
The big wailing and gnashing of teeth like in previous years appears to be missing this year: the Wartenberg market's budget is ready for approval.
But there is a major point of contention: companies must continue to pay record levels of trade tax.
Wartenberg - In the intensive and objective first discussion of the 2024 budget in the Main and Finance Committee on Monday in the town hall, it became clear: The legal minimum transfer from the administrative to the capital budget, which is supposed to correspond to the regular repayment of current loans, can even be achieved this time: 556 000 euros.
However, the price for this is high: the assessment rate for trade tax must remain at 450 percent of the tax base and cannot be reduced to 430, as was so vehemently demanded in the citizens' meeting.
Pröbst: The increase was quite bad
That was also the biggest point of discussion in the two-hour consultation.
It was Mayor Christian Pröbst (CSU) who brought the topic into the debate and said that the increase in trade tax was already bad.
He expressly showed understanding for the resentment of those affected and spoke of a “suggestion”.
It fell through: with three votes in favor and five against, the recommendation decision went to the market council to leave it at the old height.
This decision was not easy for the council.
Franz Gerstner (CSU) recalled that it was a record high.
Michael Paulini (SPD) meanwhile saw a placement problem in view of the drastic increase in kindergarten fees.
Christian Pröbst ("I'm open to everything") expressly did not rule out the possibility that if the trade tax were to be reduced, another increase in the 2025 budget might be necessary: "The figures from the district are not euphoric either," he said.
These statements then proved to be decisive.
Eduard Ertl (Neue Mitte) didn't believe in constant back and forth, and Nina Hieronymus (CSU) emphatically called for planning security for companies.
Paulini said: “We have to get our budget well balanced.” By this he meant the minimum allocation, which cannot be represented at 430 percent of the tax base amounts.
Big deficit in the children's home
The submission to the local council is now created on the basis of the current assessment rate.
The timetable is to pass the budget in the April session, which would be quite early compared to the recent past.
Then again it will be about the deficits in daycare centers.
The almost half million deficit at the Catholic children's home alone hurts enormously.
“We haven’t decided yet,” said Pröbst.
When asked, he said that no decision has yet been made regarding the official complaint to the Ministry of Social Affairs (we reported).
However, the current budget situation allows the budget cuts that were introduced in 2023 to be reversed.
The media center, the big point of contention a year ago, has also been able to loosen the reins somewhat, for example when it comes to media procurement.
All of this contributed to a relaxed working atmosphere on Monday.
2000 tickets for the cultural summer
There are generally some positive trends in the area of voluntary spending.
It is to be expected that the cultural summer could be a great success: Currently, 2,000 tickets are expected to be sold, reported Pröbst.
He called it a “cool thing.”
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However, there are also budgetary risks: The big bridge test is coming up again, and with the best will in the world, the mayor cannot yet say what the outcome will be.
During the meeting he looked somewhat anxiously at the bridge at the roundabout, which was also examined at the same time.
Playgrounds on the waiting bench
The super austerity budget of 2023 has left its mark.
This also affected playgrounds.
Pröbst openly admitted: “We let it slide.” This applies, among other things, to the skate park, where a piece of equipment has to be completely replaced for safety reasons.
Major investments in the school
There is money for the school: another class is being equipped with tablet PCs for 30,000 euros.
The Free State of Bavaria provides half of the amount as a grant.
The school and its expansion and renovation are now also anchored in the budget, namely in the medium-term financial planning.
This year it is 360,000 euros, but in the coming years it will be amounts beyond the two million euro mark.
There are 1.6 million euros in credit authorization in the budget and will probably also be in the budget statutes.
However, 600,000 euros of this is a debt restructuring.
Of the remaining million, which would then be a net borrowing, the mayor then said: “I actually don’t think we have to do that.” When asked about the reserves, treasurer Tanja Göbl, however, made a sad face: “Blank .
.
.”
Sewer fees and town hall renovations
The population expects injustice when it comes to wastewater fees: these must be recalculated.
Pröbst: “We have to do that again.” And there’s something else in the budget now: the town hall renovation and expansion.
This should also be done in sections.
There are 350,000 euros in the asset budget this year.
The largest chunk, worth over half a million euros, is planned for two years from now.