District budget 2025: approval with criticism – Brandl calls for more fairness!

District budget 2025: approval with criticism – Brandl calls for more fairness!

It is now official in the Germersheim district: The district budget for 2025 has been approved by the Supervisory and Services Directorate (ADD). There is great joy about this, even if District Administrator Martin Brandl also expresses his concerns about the state's financial expectations. This approval comes with conditions and criticism, which is not entirely atypical for municipal budget negotiations. Brandl described the ADD's demand to optimize revenue by increasing the real tax assessment rates as unsustainable and called for better financial resources from the state.

The approval now opens up opportunities to move forward with important projects such as the new high school building in Rheinzabern. Construction has been delayed, costing taxpayers around 150,000 euros per month. Investment loans of around 19.4 million euros were approved, while 30.4 million euros were originally planned. The district also received liquidity loans and commitment authorizations totaling 45.6 million euros, which creates a certain cushion for budget planning. However, it should be noted that the ADD has already expressed initial concerns about the financial planning for the following years 2026 and 2027 and called for additional consolidation measures.

District levy and financial challenges

Another critical topic under discussion includes increasing the district levy by 0.5 percentage points to a total of 50.2 percent. This decision was made by the district council and shows the ongoing financial strain that many municipalities are currently suffering from. The trend continues not only in Germersheim, but also in other districts, such as the Ludwigsburg district. An increase of 3.5 percentage points was also proposed there, which could further aggravate the situation. The background is structural deficits and inadequate financing from higher-level authorities, which is putting municipal budgets under increasing pressure.

Unclear reimbursement of costs for refugees and challenges in hospital financing contribute to the precarious situation. Here, companies and municipalities must act wisely to counteract the impending budget situation.

Investments for the future

Overall, the deficit in the earnings budget in the Germersheim district amounts to 45.6 million euros, which is underpinned by a high financial requirement of 69.8 million euros. While the district has implemented savings measures and a budget commission, it remains unclear how to address the numerous challenges. The district administration plans to take measures primarily in the area of ​​public transport and social services, where there is a net subsidy requirement of around 253.8 million euros.

Despite all the financial tension, we are also relying on positive developments. The savings bank's profit distribution of around 567,000 euros is a ray of hope. At the same time, the reduction in funding for the swimming initiative by 450,000 euros is being maintained and higher income from fines and fees is planned for the coming year.

The upcoming district budget will now be discussed further in the district council's committees, with an approval planned for December. It remains to be seen whether the measures taken are sufficient to stabilize finances in the long term and overcome the municipal challenges that hang over the districts like the sword of Damocles. The municipal budget is not just a matter of numbers, but also a planning tool for expenses and income, which forms the basis for action for all municipal projects and thus has a significant influence on local life.