The Töginger budget for 2023 is anything but uncontroversial: a lack of leeway, the depletion of reserves and simultaneous borrowing are points of criticism.
Taking – The Budget Committee had recommended the figures for acceptance. But the 2023 budget and the financial plan for the coming years did not go unchallenged in the city council. Finally, the EUR 12 million reserve will be reduced to a minimum by the end of 2026. The debts then add up to 16 million euros. Even if he agreed, building consultant Josef Neuberger (FW) suggested that the committee reconsider planned projects, which could save several million euros: “We have a responsibility for the city,” said the spokesman for the Free Voters.
Windhorst: “Delete everything that hasn’t started”
In his budget speech, Mayor Dr. Tobias Windhorst (CSU) used the word “turning point”, identifying two crises with the corona crisis and the Ukraine war. However, one cannot predict 2023 either, after all, Töging’s companies have also contributed a lot of trade taxes in the past two years. With the shutdown of the hot water and the reduction of the room temperature in the town hall and other properties, the right path was taken: “We will therefore continue to do so in the future!”, explained the mayor. With a view to the release of the reserve and the planned raising of around ten million euros in loans by 2026, the mayor wants to “delete everything that has not started”.
However, the two day-care centers, the combined heat and power plant in the sewage treatment plant, the new deep well and associated lines, an emergency power generator for the multi-purpose hall and the project for district housing for around 5.5 million euros, of which 2.4 million euros were taken over by the Free State, have to be completed become. With the planned renovation of the multi-purpose hall for around 3.6 million euros and the district housing project, he argued with anti-cyclical action, but he also wanted to wait and see the offers from the construction companies first. Windhorst expressly pointed out that the district levy could still increase from 53 to 54 points and that the budget estimate of around six million euros could still increase. In view of a forecast permanent negative balance, Dr. Tobias Windhorst believes that raising trade taxes should be considered because he sees no major savings potential.
CSU: Don’t let the numbers drive you crazy
Christoph Joachimbauer said for the CSU parliamentary group that one should not be driven crazy by the sheer numbers, but rather take a deep breath first. He pointed out that the budgets of the past few years had always looked worse than they ultimately developed. Rather, in recent years, a reserve has been built up, which now forms the financial foundation for the necessary investments. The city council gave priority to the construction of the two kindergartens and the water supply. “Trade tax is not a free variable!” warned Christoph Joachimbauer, expressing that the loss of a large trade tax payer was significantly worse than a comparatively small deficit per year.
SPD criticizes the lack of leeway
The Social Democrats criticized the high spending: “This budget has set itself up and I don’t mean that in a positive way,” said parliamentary group spokesman Günter Zellner, complaining about the lack of leeway. He praised the planned addition of 876,000 euros to the property budget in 2023, but criticized the fact that the volume of the overall budget had increased by two million euros compared to the previous year. Last year he warned of impending tax increases if the high expenditures are not brought under control. This discussion is now officially open. In the coming years, people will live off the substance, although questions such as the renewal of the fire brigade fleet have even been postponed until after 2026.
Credit is a thorn in the side of free voters
Group spokesman Josef Neuberger of the Free Voters expressed the greatest criticism. “In contrast to the two kindergartens and the water supply, housing construction is not a mandatory task,” emphasized the building officer. He recalled that the city council had recently approved the construction of more than 200 residential units anyway. In order to have fewer loans by 2026, he therefore suggested selling the land for the district housing project for an estimated six million euros and looking for an external developer to complete the plans, which cost 300,000 euros. He therefore wanted it noted in the minutes that although he was voting for the budget, he was against taking out the loan of two million euros for this project.
Another point of criticism from Neuberger is the renovation of the multi-purpose hall for around 3.6 million euros: “The costs are too high. We have to see where we can still make cuts,” says the building officer. He showed a lack of understanding for the planned emergency power supply in the multi-purpose hall for 350,000 euros. This is not related to the renovation, but is intended to enable civil protection to work in the event of a blackout. “Yes, where is it? They shut down the nuclear power plants and we have to fix it,” Neuberger commented on this impertinence at higher political levels. This presentation was joined by Dr. Tobias Windhorst immediately, since this had probably been planned for a long time for the civil protection. As the last savings option in the 2023 budget, Neuberger named the 500,000 euros planned for road construction measures.
