Most people will probably be more familiar with the discussion about points from the world of sports. Traditionally, there is also one at the end of the year in the responsible committee of the Ebersberg district council when it comes to how much money the municipalities have to transfer to the district office in the following year – and this sum in turn is quite sporty in 2023. In its most recent meeting, the district and strategy committee decided to raise the so-called district levy by 1.5 percentage points. What initially reads manageable, however, could ensure that one or the other community runs out of breath.
Because similar to the district itself, their finances are not in much better shape – on the contrary. Up to now it was the district office that was in the red, but now it is the individual municipalities that lack the money. “The municipalities have twice as much debt as the district,” said Brigitte Keller at the meeting. The finance manager also pointed out that the picture is quite heterogeneous. While a few manage to reduce debt, other municipalities are now up to their necks in water. And of course that also has an impact on the citizens living there, because if the coffers are empty, there are no funds for investments in the infrastructure or the operation of expensive leisure facilities.
The municipalities have to pay around 102 million euros to the district
In addition to this mixed situation, there is now also the increase in the district levy, which will be 1.5 points in the coming year. One point corresponds to around 2.1 million euros on average. In total, the 21 municipalities have to pay the district a little more than 102 million euros with a district allocation of 48.5 points. The shares of the individual municipalities are very different, because the district levy is based on how high their respective tax revenues were two years ago. What is certain, however, is that with the exception of Oberpframmern and Poing, which is benefiting from a one-off tax effect, all municipalities will have to give up considerably more than they did this year.
The communities are still lucky in their misfortune, because originally the finance department even wanted to raise the levy by two points. However, the majority of the district councils, most of whom are also representatives of their municipalities, vetoed this. Such an increase cannot be financed by the municipalities and cities and cannot be implemented, said Grafing’s mayor and CSU district councilor Christian Bauer. Party colleague Martin Wagner from Vaterstetten agreed: “The municipalities are bleeding dry.” So you have to give them a little more air at the moment.
Ebersberg passes on 45 percent of the income directly to the district of Upper Bavaria
Poing’s former mayor Albert Hingerl (SPD) called for an even closer exchange with the municipalities: “The conflicts between the district and the municipalities will become stronger if we don’t come up with anything here.” While Manfred Schmidt (AfD) complained about what he saw as a lack of thrift in the district, the Greens agreed to the two percent increase on the condition that an unexpected surplus from the key allocations of 400,000 euros flows directly into climate protection – that however, the other factions declined in view of the financial plight of the communities.
Meanwhile, Brigitte Keller pointed out that the district’s money is not exactly rosy either. “45 percent of the district levy goes directly to the district of Upper Bavaria,” says the finance manager. Because not only the municipalities have to cede a fee to the next higher authority every year, but also the district in the form of the district levy – and this will increase significantly by around 3.44 million euros in the coming year. Despite the higher amounts from its communities, the district’s levy capacity will decrease in 2023 – a development that last occurred in 2015.
The warning from the finance manager, who pointed to the weakening economic power with simultaneous additional spending in the social sector, is correspondingly clear: “All of this is now happening, albeit with a force that one could not necessarily have counted on.” Meanwhile, District Administrator Robert Niedergesäß (CSU) spoke of an “unpleasant overall situation”. All citizens of the municipalities are also citizens of the district, which is why one does not want to make life even more difficult for the municipalities than it already is. “Municipalities and districts are in the same boat.”