As of: March 16, 2024, 7:00 a.m
By: Sabine Fleischer
Comments
Press
Split
Next Friday, the Weilheim district council will decide on increasing the district levy.
© dpa / Monika Skolimowska
The district needs more money (we reported) and would like to increase the district levy from 54 to 55 percent.
The decision will be made in the district council this week.
Can the 34 municipalities that are subject to the levy cover this increase?
Or is the municipal coffers really strained and no longer has enough financial strength for its own tasks?
District - As part of the budget statutes, the district council decides annually on the amount of the district levy assessment rate with a fixed range between a minimum of 55 and a maximum of 58 percentage points.
According to current case law, the financial situation of all municipalities subject to the levy must be known beforehand.
The following applies: The financial needs of the district do not exceed those of the municipality.
And the municipality must be able to continue to fulfill its tasks even if the district levy increases.
How did the district treasurer get an idea of the municipalities' financial situation?
The integration of the individual cities, markets and municipalities into the district's budget planning initially took place in the mayor's office meeting on December 1, 2023, where the budget planning including an increase in the district levy by one percentage point was presented.
At the same time, existing municipal budget data from the municipal supervisory authority from the previous year 2023 was used.
Important to know: Forecasts and outlooks on the future municipal financial situation were not taken into account.
If, for example, unexpected or high expenses arise locally, this is not taken into account in the municipality's assessment for this year.
In addition to this use of data, the municipalities were given the opportunity to present further individual aspects of the municipality's individual financial situation in a letter from the district administrator until February 2, 2024.
According to the district treasurer's office, 13 municipalities have done this.
When assessing whether a district levy rate of 55 percent is justifiable in view of the financial situation of the respective municipality, the assessment is:
• No effect of the district levy on the minimum financial resources: Altenstadt, Böbing, Eglfing, Huglfing, Iffeldorf, Ingenried, Oberhausen, Pähl, Polling, Schongau, Schwabbruck, Seeshaupt, Sindelsdorf and Wessobrunn.
• Insignificant impact of the district levy on the minimum financial resources: Antdorf, Bernbeuren, Bernried, Burggen, Eberfing, Habach, Hohenfurch, Hohenpeißenberg, Obersöchering, Peißenberg, Peiting, Penzberg, Prem, Raisting, Rottenbuch, Schwabsoien, Steingaden, Weilheim, Wielenbach and Wildsteig.
With his assessment, district treasurer Norbert Merk sees no problems for the communities if the levy is 55 percent in 2024.
He also complained at the last district committee meeting that around a quarter of the municipalities could definitely increase their property and trade tax rates.
“They are missing out on a lot of money,” says Merk.
The fact that not every municipality will be happy about the planned 55 percent levy became clear almost two weeks ago during the preliminary consultation on the district budget.
District councilor and Schongau mayor Falk Sluyterman (SPD) judged: “The 55 will cause problems for the municipalities.” Some people also spoke of a “financial problem being shifted to the municipalities”.
And several voices also doubted whether this one percentage point more would even be enough for the district.
It remains to be seen how the district council will decide.
Everyone should be aware that there is a lot at stake: a no to the levy increase would mean too little income for the district and thus an unapprovable budget for 2024 and, as a result, a possible insolvency of the hospital GmbH.