Municipalities call for improved financial support and structural modifications - Authorities in the local area advocate for enhanced financial resources and infrastructural changes.
Let's Talk Cities and Municipalities: Time for Change and Cash Flow
Hey there!
Saxony's cities and municipalities are calling for a fresh start, demanding improved financing and structural reforms. Bert Wendsche, president of the Saxon Cities and Municipalities Association (SSG), believes a new wave of momentum is essential after a recent meeting in Leipzig. To achieve this, processes must be simplified, bureaucracy minimized, and local self-government revitalized. Responsibility breeds a sense of belonging.
Municipalities Cry for Trust
The SSG desires to minimize the mandatory tasks of municipalities and simplify requirements and standards within a comprehensive structural reform. Leipzig's mayor, Burkhard Jung (SPD), echoes this sentiment. A broad consensus across municipalities exists regarding their demands from the Free State.
"We need a new injection of trust," declares Jung. Many feel excluded, as decisions are made without their direct involvement. Financial flexibility is limited, yet they must collaborate to find solutions for our democracies and the people we represent.
Wendsche observes a structural funding deficit
Last year alone saw a staggering financing deficit of 691 million euros - the highest since 1990, according to Wendsche. This isn't a temporary slump but a deep-rooted, structural deficit reflecting the anxieties within cities and municipalities.
To address these concerns, the SSG recommends municipalities be allowed to cover their capital and personnel expenses from current revenues once more. They advocate the Free State provide additional funds from the 2027/2028 double budget. Of paramount importance to municipalities is participation in the federal special fund based on the municipal share of 80% in public infrastructure. The funding should be invested quickly and efficiently into urban and rural infrastructure.
Kretschmer: "We must confront reality"
Minister President Michael Kretschmer (CDU) acknowledged some of the SSG's demands, such as a flat rate for childcare costs and compensation for increased heating costs. However, he stressed the budget's tense state in his address at the SSG meeting.
"We must face the realities," asserts Kretschmer. With a budget volume of 25 billion euros - the biggest in the Free State yet - there's a deficit of two billion euros, explains Kretschmer. Emergency measures are being enacted to balance the budget, like saving a quarter of the costs associated with Free State personnel.
In the distribution of the special fund, "the most pressing challenges" of education, hospitals, fire protection, and digitalization should be prioritized, said Kretschmer. Instead of spreading the money, it should be directed towards comprehensive measures of at least 100,000 to 150,000 euros.
Money, Municipalities, Saxony, Leipzig, Burkhard Jung, Michael Kretschmer, SPD
- The Saxon Cities and Municipalities Association (SSG) proposes a comprehensive employment policy reform, aiming to reduce the mandatory tasks of municipalities and streamline requirements and standards to promote financial autonomy and efficient decision-making.
- To cope with the mounting financial burdens and structural deficits, the SSG advocates for increased funding from the Free State, including participation in the federal special fund for public infrastructure, with the goal of improving urban and rural infrastructure through efficient and swift investment.
