Should the municipality of Gröbenzell increase its trade tax? The political bodies have been discussing this for a few years without any result. The SPD and Greens, who are outnumbered, want to increase the rate, which is currently 330 points, while the CSU and UWG are against it. Now the municipality’s economic development agency has presented a non-representative survey of local companies on this question. According to the idea, it should serve as a decision-making aid. But when she was presented to the municipal council, she was heavily criticized. And on the other hand, the results are interpreted very differently.
The company survey ran for two weeks in September. As economic promoter Raphael Morhard explains, it was made online due to time constraints and only companies whose addresses were available were contacted. There were a total of 497, i.e. about a fifth of the companies registered locally. According to Morhard, 146 questionnaires could be used from the answers – such a return rate of 29 percent is “very good”, he emphasizes. When asked the crucial question about a possible increase in trade tax, 22 percent answered that they would consider moving, 17 percent that they were forced to do so. “That’s a questionable value,” says Morhard. Mayor Martin Schäfer (UWG), who himself comes from the private sector, is surprised that 25 companies are already thinking about moving.
SPD parliamentary leader Peter Falk, who had applied for a trade tax rate of 385 during the budget deliberations, interprets the figures very differently. The long-standing, former finance officer points out that the survey was anonymous and it is therefore not possible to understand the amount of tax the respondents pay to the municipality. Since not all, and far too few companies were written to, “I do not see the significance of this survey given”. Nevertheless, he quotes from the results: “I’m surprised that 20 percent want to pay more taxes.”
Because that was also the result of the survey: 16 percent spoke out in favor of an increase in the assessment rate – but only half of the participants answered this question. And because of the anonymity, nobody can understand whether these 16 percent pay trade tax at all.
Walter Voit’s criticism also goes in this direction. The Green wants to know how the business developer made his selection and says: “I’m sorry, but this work is not worth the paper it is printed on.” Louds of indignation come from the CSU and UWG factions, someone shouts: “Insolence”https://www.sueddeutsche.de/muenchen/fuerstenfeldbruck/.”It’s difficult to draw conclusions from this,” agrees Daniel Holmer. The parliamentary group spokesman for the Greens, who always tries to dampen the charged atmosphere in the municipal council, explains: “I see a mood picture in it.”
“I think the mood is relevant,” says Wolfgang Netschert. He thanks Morhard for his work, as do many of his CSU parliamentary group colleagues and UWG members after him, simply trying to create a better atmosphere. Because the Greens and SPD had partly criticized the survey quite sharply.
The trade consultant Netschert speaks out against an increase in trade tax, which is currently on par with Hattenhofen. A look across the district border also shows that, for example, Bergkirchen with the Gada industrial park right next to the A8 junction has a multiplier of 300. “Gröbenzell doesn’t have an industrial park,” Michael Jaumann explains, so the development opportunities for local companies are correspondingly limited. Netschert’s predecessor and parliamentary colleague in the CSU raised concerns that if a company moved away, jobs in Gröbenzell would also disappear. He also explains to the SPD and the Greens: “Some of the requests to speak here are a mess.”
Finally, Cornelia Aicher-Leonbacher (FW) requested the end of the debate. Because the survey should only be noted. A decision is no longer required of the municipal council this evening. And the motion is passed unanimously.