As of: March 31, 2024, 5:00 p.m
By: Sabine Fleischer
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The five youth centers in the Weilheim-Schongau district are to be supported with 25,000 euros annually for staff. © Monika Skolimowska/dpa
Weilheim-Schongau District Council: Fundamental decision to support youth work in the district
District - A small role in the austerity dictate backwards? As part of the 2023 budget consolidation, the Weilheim-Schongau district decided to end the voluntary funding of one full-time position in the youth centers of the five large municipalities as of January 1, 2025. The district council has now agreed in a fundamental resolution that from 2025 the youth centers in the five large municipalities should receive financial support.
The district is not legally obliged to cover the personnel costs for youth centers. That is the task of the supporting municipalities. They also accepted the decision last year, even though it meant losing “the umbilical cord to the youth welfare office,” according to district councilor and mayor Peter Ostenrieder (CSU). Because: Youth work in JuZe should also be seen as preventive work for the district and promotes political education.
Therefore, Peiting's town hall boss, on behalf of his fellow mayors of Peißenberg, Penzberg, Schongau and Weilheim, applied for annual support from the district budget of 25,000 euros per center from 2025 if new youth centers were added. Of course this also applies to these.
The district councilors unanimously supported this application, even if it was somewhat contrary to the austerity measures in the district budget. Youth work should not be “under the radar,” stated District Councilor Manuel NEUENNER (Greens).
The district council is now commissioning the Office for Youth and Family to develop a corresponding funding guideline with effect from January 1, 2025. At the same time, the necessary budget funds of at least 125,000 euros from the 2025 financial year, plus any increases in salary costs, are to be set for the first time from 2026.
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