From a geological point of view, the market town of Kirchseeon lies between two landscapes: the flat gravel plain to the north and west, and the hilly terminal moraine to the south and east. The Kirchseeon budget for the coming years will be at least as hilly, at least if you look at the ups and downs in debt and reserves. In the long term, however, this roller coaster ride should be softened somewhat – and the solution also has to do with the landscape in the broadest sense.
The figures, which treasurer Christiane Prosser presented at the meeting of the market town council, show a very positive development for the current year: New loans will not have to be taken out this year, but old debts of around 360,000 euros will have to be repaid, so that the market town will still be able to is in debt with 5.15 million euros. In the same period, however, the reserves are expected to rise sharply, by almost EUR 3.28 million to EUR 5.83 million at the end of the year. In purely arithmetical terms, the market community would be around half a million plus – however, Kirchseeon must also be responsible for the waterworks, and this municipal company will be in debt this year due to upcoming investments: the liabilities will increase from 722,000 to around 1.31 million euros by the end of the year have increased.
The renovation of the school in Eglharting will probably be expensive
In any case, the theoretical freedom from debt is only an interim figure, in the coming years it will be deep in the red again: by the end of 2024, the debt should increase to 7.82 million euros, the reserves should drop to 1.46 million. Another year later, a debt of 11.39 million and reserves of only 602,000 euros are foreseeable. The reason is the upcoming renovation of the school in Eglharting, between 2023 and 2025 ten, even 20 million euros are to be spent on this.
The school in Eglharting has to be renovated, which could cost the municipality of Kirchseeon up to 20 million euros.
(Photo: Peter Hinz-Rosin)
This year there are only 230,000 euros for the gym, anyway the investment program for 2022 is rather manageable. The largest single items are 700,000 euros for the indoor swimming pool, 600,000 euros for work on the water and sewer network and 300,000 for the redesign of the market square. In addition, two million euros have been set aside for land purchases – but it is unclear whether the money will be called at all, said Mayor Jan Paeplow (CSU) when asked. That depends on whether the community would be offered land – and at what price.
Overall, the asset budget, which reflects the investments, is therefore only 10.23 million euros, 22.65 million is the administrative budget, which includes the current expenses. By far the largest is the district levy with 5.75 million euros, the personnel costs amount to 4.68 million and the maintenance of the community property 2.23 million euros. In terms of income, the largest item is income tax participation at 7.86 million euros. Grants and allocations are to flow in 2022 in the amount of 3.35 million and key allocations in the amount of 2.29 million euros. Only then follow trade tax with 2.5 and property tax with 1.25 million euros.
More trade could flush more taxes into the Kirchseeon cash register
An imbalance that is not unknown to the municipal council members. In principle, the budget and the financial plan are “solid and forward-looking”, praised Peter Kohl (CSU), his parliamentary group will therefore agree. At the same time, it is an old problem of the market community that the trade tax is clearly below average. According to Kohl, it is around 700 euros per inhabitant in similarly sized municipalities, while in Kirchseeon it is only 200. Diana Thalhammer (SPD) took the same line, she was concerned that Kirchseeon was only 16th out of the 21 district municipalities in terms of tax capacity. The primary goal must be to generate more income – “if only I knew how to do that.” It sounded similar with Christian Eringer (UWG): “If you don’t have any land, you can’t identify any commercial space.”
Only in Eglharting is there a notable commercial area, the municipality lacks the space for larger settlements.
(Photo: Christian Endt)
Susanne Markmiller (FDP) suggested why you have to look at the land use plan, because it is important to “be more active in local planning”. She also suggested checking with the waterworks to see whether it really needs to be in the hands of the community. “Personally, I don’t see the benefit of privatizing it,” said Mayor Paeplow, adding that the costs would then accrue elsewhere, for example with the fee payers. But as far as the revision of the land use plan is concerned, the head of the town hall also considers it “the means to develop the place.”
Overall, however, satisfaction with the municipality’s financial development prevailed. “We’re in good shape,” said Rüdiger Za (Greens) confidently, “it looked very different a few years ago”. This is a budget “that allows us to do a certain amount of planning,” said the mayor, but warned that we should always keep an eye on spending. The budget and financial plan were finally approved with no dissenting votes.