If everything works out, the district council will decide on the district budget for 2021 on November 26th. The administration has long since worked out the figures. The political groups are dealing with this right now. As things stand at present, the administrative budget (current income and expenditure) would have a volume of around 117 million euros, the asset budget (investments) of 21 million euros. Social benefits alone increase to around 37 million euros (2020: 34). In addition, there are the additional costs due to the corona pandemic, which are difficult to calculate for next year.
In an interview with our newspaper, District Administrator Christiane Schmidt-Rose (CDU) made it clear that she would like to continue investing in schools, roads and cycle paths. Construction projects that have already started are to be continued, the digitization of administrative action (e-goverment) to be promoted internally and in relation to the citizen. The latter is to be supported by the state with half a million in 2021 alone.
The federal government plans to use the digital pact to pour just over one million euros into the infrastructure of the schools so that the prerequisites for digitization can be created there. The application was preceded by an assessment of the schools by the Zweckverband Kommunale Informationsverarbeitung Sachsen, to which the district belongs. In addition, the schools had developed media concepts. For example, investments in the Werner Seelenbinder school network in Apolda and the new Pfiffelbach school are being continued. The long-running elementary school in Bad Berka is also on the agenda. The planning for this continues. In 2021 there are 927,000 euros in the budget, part of the five million euros promised by the state.
The doubling of the school investment fee is encouraging. This should be around 1.3 million euros. In general, there will be considerably more grants from the state for investments in 2021 – after all, they add up to over eleven million euros.
Some investments also follow in road construction. Borrowing is being reduced noticeably. While the district took out around 9.6 million euros in debt in 2020, the total amount is expected to decrease to around 4.9 million euros in 2021. The corresponding contribution from the administrative budget is also lower than in 2019 and 2020, namely only around 2.58 million euros, so that fewer loans can be taken out. The background is the criterion of “lasting performance”. It is given when the district can meet its current obligations, but at the same time budget so well that it manages to pack something for investments in the asset budget. – This has been successful in Weimarer Land for years, which speaks for a relatively solid housekeeping. The district administrator: “The district is in debt, yes, but not over-indebted.” In view of the investments, the debt will rise to just over 20 million euros by the end of 2021.
The risk assumptions have traditionally always been a sensitive issue. What is meant by this is money for which it is not one hundred percent clear whether it is flowing, although it is planned. In 2021 they will amount to around three million euros, which is a significant increase compared to the current year. However, in order to be able to balance the budget in terms of income and exceptions at all, the administration must use this instrument.
In any case, the district administrator hopes for a precision landing at the end of 2021, i.e. that the risk assumptions will not materialize. In any case, the risk assumptions have a relieving effect on the district levy, which is another sensitive point. In fact, the rate of assessment can be kept stable, it will be around 39.1% in 2020 and 2021 according to the current status. H. Nominally, however, there is an increase to the total of 33.7 million euros, to which Apolda contributes the lion’s share with around 8.5 million, followed by Bad Berka, Bad Sulza and Großheringen with sums somewhere between 2.7 and 3 million Euro. All others are below. The reason given is that the allocation power of the municipalities and cities has increased compared to 2020. With the money from the district levy, the district, which is not allowed to levy any significant taxes, covers its unmet needs.
Speaking of which: The district administrator’s point of view is that the additional cost compensation that the district receives from the state for performing “external” tasks (assigned sphere of activity) will increase in 2021. – By one euro per inhabitant, which is 101 euros per person. The members of the district council are currently working on the draft budget. Applications can be submitted until November 16.
The budget could be decided on November 26th. So in time for the new year.
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