As of: March 23, 2024, 3:00 p.m
By: Bernhard Jepsen
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Jürgen Forstner voted against the budget.
© Jepsen
As expected, the market council approved the preliminary budget for 2024 - but not unanimously.
Jürgen Forstner voted against the budget.
The spokesman for the Free Voters gave the reasons in an emotional statement that will be remembered.
Peißenberg
– The municipal budget for the current financial period is dry.
The market council approved the 34.3 million euro budget in its plenary session on Wednesday evening.
Because the figures provide for a credit limit of 500,000 euros, the municipal legal supervision still has to give its approval.
Only then can the budget go into “implementation”.
The approval of the district office is likely to only be a formality.
Mayor Frank Zellner (CSU) and Deputy City Hall Chairman Robert Halbritter (SPD) announced in their budget speeches that they were “glad” that the municipality had been able to draw up an approvable budget despite the difficult conditions.
Zellner referred to the key allocations from the Free State of Bavaria as part of the municipal financial equalization (5.1 million euros), which would consolidate Peißenberg's budget situation.
The head of the town hall also pointed out that public budgets in general would come under increasing pressure due to the financial difficulties of hospitals.
Action by the federal government is urgently required in this regard.
“The community has done its homework”
Halbritter explained that the community had “done its homework” – namely in the “finance” working group set up by the market council.
It can be seen as a “success” that the assessment rates for property and trade tax did not have to be increased.
Halbritter, who explicitly mentioned that he was speaking “on behalf of all factions,” described the 2024 budget as a “good budget.”
However, before the vote on the budget statutes came, Jürgen Forstner spoke up.
“Thank you very much for this speech, Robert.
But unfortunately I can't quite share the assessments," explained the parliamentary group spokesman for the Free Voters in the direction of Halbritter: "I will not agree to the budget." Forstner explained why in a statement that gave a deep insight into the inner workings of the local council Peißenberg's fundamental problems were revealed.
Forstner explained that decency would require him to publicly justify his voting behavior - "because that's what is appropriate in a democracy."
His rejection of the 2024 budget has nothing to do with market treasurer Michael Liedl: “You, dear Michael, are doing a good job with your team.
Technically competent – as always.” The content of the budget is drawn up by politicians: “What is in there is determined by us local councils.”
Whatever is necessary must be done
However: “A lot of things” would be missing from the budget plan for 2024, for example the renovation of Sonnenstrasse.
Only planning costs were included in the budget for the project: “That’s not enough for me,” said Forstner.
The budget cannot always be based solely on the personnel capacities of the town hall administration.
“No, I see the budget in such a way that what is necessary has to be done.”
And then Forstner got down to business: “Rudi Mach (party spokesman for the Peißenberg List; editor's note) insulted me in the worst possible way because I brought up the topic of the 'ice stadium'.
He insults me and tells me to keep my mouth shut because I don't belong here on the market council anyway.
There are witnesses for these statements.” Forstner was referring to an internal parliamentary group spokesperson meeting that took place before the February market council meeting.
As can be heard from several sources, the sparks must have flown there - including verbal gaffes.
“I just asked the question why the issue was being pushed back until September,” explained Forstner to the local council.
What exactly did he mean by that?
The main club of TSV Peißenberg, as the operator of the ice stadium, was asked by the “Finance” working group regarding the municipal subsidization of the sports facility (just over 80,000 euros annually) to, among other things, demand a higher financial contribution from the TSV ice hockey division (previously 16,000 Euros for the assignment of the advertising rights in the stadium), to draw up a maintenance plan and to create reserves.
The package of demands should be processed by September.
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Discussions not welcome?
Forstner says it's taking too long: "It's a Peißenberg disease: we push, push and push." But discussions about "certain lobby groups" are generally simply not welcome: "They dump dirt on you and you're ironed out with a hate campaign.
Mr. Mach, you should be ashamed of that because it is anything but democratic.” And: “Yes, Mayor Zellner, I slammed the door at the parliamentary group speaker meeting, but at some point it’s enough.”
Mach's tirades were not reprimanded by Zellner: "That doesn't speak for you, Mr. Mayor." He could go along with the 2024 budget in terms of "mandatory tasks," stated Forstner, "but when it comes to voluntary services, it is an unfair budget." After Forstner spoke, Frank Zellner thanked him for the statement - rather grudgingly.
There was no response from Rudi Mach and his parliamentary group colleagues.