The draft budget for 2020 has been prepared. The resolution is scheduled for the district council meeting on 19 February 2020. The public presentation will take place from 9 December to 18 December 2019. The income budget provides for expenses of 342.2 million euros. This contrasts with income of 337.4 million euros.
The treasurer and councillor Rainer Schinkel explains:
"Preparing the budget is proving more difficult than in previous years. The district will have to spend significantly more on childcare in daycare centres. The number of children to be cared for is increasing and the staffing ratio is constantly being improved by state regulations. As the district is responsible for paying almost all of the necessary staff, we will have to provide almost €75 million for child daycare alone, almost €6 million more than we had planned for 2019. We can only expect €3.6 million more from the state. The improvement in bus services, which the district council decided on in the 2020-2024 local transport plan, will mean a district subsidy that is around €2.7 million higher than in 2019.
However, we are also aware of the challenges facing many municipalities in the district. We have therefore decided not to increase the district levy for 2020 and to balance the budget by drawing from the reserves. This somewhat restricts our ability to act in the coming years and, as in previous years, we will have to pay attention to economic efficiency and thriftiness when implementing the budget. We are facing investments such as broadband expansion and new school buildings, which are vital to the future viability of the district and which we have included in the 2020 budget and subsequent years. As these cannot be realised with the planned subsidies or our available financial resources alone, we are planning to take out a loan for 2020/2021.
My appeal to the new state government is similar to that of previous years. Relief for citizens as well as new or improved services must not be decided by the state without ensuring adequate counter-financing for the districts and municipalities. We have had an extraordinarily good economic development in recent years. This will not always be the case and local authority budgets must not be used to consolidate state budgets.
The 2020 district budget is solidly planned and will make the district a good deal more liveable. The district development budget will be part of the budget and thus give particularly financially weak municipalities the opportunity to realise important investments. This will enable the district to fulfil its equalisation function."
Responsible: Thomas Berendt, Press Spokesman
(Tel.: 0162/2356078; 03346-8506005)