District Administrator Rempe in an interview: Big challenges for 2026!

District Administrator Rempe in an interview: Big challenges for 2026!

A worrying financial situation is emerging in the south of Lower Saxony. In a recent interview on Radio ZuSa, District Administrator Rainer Rempe made it clear how critical the situation is in the Harburg district. In the program “Talk regional” with presenter Claus Lühr, which took place on Thursday,January 22nd, from 10 a.m. to 11 a.mas well as on Tuesday,January 27th, from 6 to 7 p.mwill be broadcast, it sheds light on the financial challenges for 2026.

Rempe had already presented the alarming figures at the New Year's reception. The district faces a debt of over1.13 billion eurosfaced by at least 20282.36 billion euroswill rise. Over 75% of the total expenditure of577 million eurosin 2025 will flow into social benefits, which will put an enormous strain on both the coffers and the moral obligation towards citizens. The criticism is also directed at the state of Lower Saxony, which per capita is almost300 euros lessthan the average of all federal states.

Details of the financial situation

The budget figures speak for themselves: with total income of223 million eurosare editions of436.8 million euroscompared to what a deficit of213.8 million eurosresults. The deficits are particularly dramatic in the areas of youth and family (63.7 million euros), school/sports (62.1 million euros) and social benefits (25.2 million euros).

“It can’t go on like this!” emphasizes Rempe. “We have to stop passing on costs to municipalities.” These statements fall on open ears, especially in view of the increasingly pressing demands on social infrastructure. The district also bears a large part of the costs for child day care itself, while the state of Lower Saxony only42%which covers personnel costs instead of the estimated ones56%.

Future prospects and improvement strategies

Future projects are also discussed in the interview. Rempe has clear ideas about the necessary road and building construction measures as well as the expansion of local public transport and the potential of wind power. The district administrator emphasizes that small and medium-sized businesses must be strengthened and new commercial space must be identified in order to bring the regional economy into shape.

The increase in jobs subject to social security contributions in the district25%from 2015 to 2022 shows that there are also bright spots. Nevertheless, the question remains as to how the administration can fulfill its mandatory tasks in the future in view of the impending financial crisis. Rempe appeals to members of the state parliament and calls for improved support in order to overcome the structural problems.

If you would like to find out more about the exciting topics of the interview, you can follow the program in the live stream on Yousa.de or join in via antenna on 95.5 MHz and cable on channel 94. Harburg district reports that... Rempe is committed to sustainable development and clearly identifies the challenges. Another example of his openness is the current information from Buchholz currently, which provide a deep insight into the problem.