In the current budget year, Walldürn will probably get off lightly despite Corona. In return, the consequences of the pandemic will have significant deficits up to 2024.
Walldürn. When the financial situation of a municipality deteriorates, treasurers, politicians and commentators like to speak of dark clouds looming on the horizon. In view of the deep red numbers expected in the coming years, such a comparison would certainly not be too short.
While Walldürn will probably get away with a black eye financially in the current year despite the Corona crisis, deficits in some cases in the double-digit millions are threatened by 2024. “With such high red numbers it is difficult to get a budget that can be approved,” said Joachim Dörr to the members of the municipal council at their meeting on Monday in the Nibelungenhalle. The city treasurer presented the draft budget for 2021 in quick succession and did not let the figures for the following years out of sight.
In the coming year, he expects income of EUR 29,283,230 in the budget. This contrasts with the forecast expenditure of 32,049,450 euros. The bottom line is that Dörr expects a deficit of just under 2.8 million euros. In 2022, the deficit is expected to add up to 16 million euros. Only in 2023 are the signs in the earnings budget pointing to easing again before a surplus of 2.2 million euros is even expected in 2024.
25 million euros in cash
Despite all the negative prospects, Dörr also had some positive news in his luggage: Thanks to high tax revenues in 2014 and 2017, Walldürn will have liquid funds expected to total 25 million euros at the end of the year. “They are also urgently needed,” emphasized the chamberlain. In spite of everything, he expects a financing gap of around four million euros if new loans are taken out in the amount of 4.67 million euros.
This gap needs to be closed either by spending less and cutting investments or, as a last resort, by further credit. “It will therefore be the task of the administration and the committees to find solutions here,” said Dörr.
Despite difficult general economic conditions, 14.1 million euros have been earmarked for investments in infrastructure and buildings for the coming year. Almost six million euros of this was already estimated in the 2020 budget, but has not yet been called. The largest measures listed in the budget draft are the acquisition of land, the development of building areas, the completion of the Keimstrasse sports hall, the construction of the respiratory protection training facility, the urban redevelopment and the repair of Adolf-Kolping-Strasse.
Correspondingly high deficits are evident in the financial budget. In the coming year there will be 6,739,820 euros in income, 14,095,200 euros in expenditure. Including the funds earmarked for the repayment of loans amounting to EUR 1,257,000, this results in a deficit of EUR 8.6 million. By 2024, the deficit in the financial budget will total 21.8 million euros. New loans are not to be taken out in the coming year.
Adoption in January
Mayor Markus Günther spoke of difficult planning. Despite the problematic initial situation, the goal is not to build up any further debt. “That will be difficult enough,” said Günther.
After 20 minutes of condensed budget arithmetic, there were no more requests to speak on the draft budget. The further timetable provides for the deliberation of the updated planning at the meeting of the municipal council in December. The budget is to be adopted in January.
© Fränkische Nachrichten, Wednesday, November 25th, 2020
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