In a letter to Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the city of Dortmund asks for help. The problems are diverse.
Dortmund – Dortmund is doing badly. In a letter of help to Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier (SPD), the city from the Ruhr area is begging the German head of state for help. However, Dortmund is not the only city to make its voice heard in this way. 63 other municipalities from across Germany are taking part. RUHR24 knows why.
Dortmund begs Federal President Steinmeier: “We need your help”
The city of Dortmund is not exactly a bed of financial roses. Loud WDRAccording to information, the city is 1.45 billion euros in debt. The sale of the power generator STEAG was able to bring a little money into the city’s coffers, but there is still a lack of liquid funds. On the other hand, experts in a study in Dortmund predict a big surprise.
Because Dortmund is not alone with this fate and other cities throughout Germany are suffering, a total of 64 municipalities joined together to form the action alliance “For the Dignity of Our Cities”. And from this alliance there is now a cry for help addressed to Federal President Steinmeier.
Dortmund is asking Federal President Steinmeier for financial help
In the letter, the cities report on the “unfair financial distribution in Germany” and the lack of financial aid. “There is a lack of money everywhere, we are tormented by high old debts, we can hardly finance our mandatory tasks and despite announcements, the promised help is not coming,” says the letter that the alliance wrote on behalf of the cities – including Dortmund.
Action alliance “For the dignity of our cities”
64 municipalities from seven federal states have joined forces. These cities and districts are included: Bochum, Bottrop, Castrop-Rauxel, Cottbus, Cuxhaven, Dietzenbach, Dinslaken, Dorsten, Dortmund, Duisburg, Ennepe-Ruhr-Kreis, Essen, Frankenthal, Geestland, Gelsenkirchen, Ginsheim-Gustavsburg, Gladbeck, Hagen , Hamm, Hattingen, Herne, Kaiserslautern, Koblenz, Krefeld, Lahnstein, Leverkusen, Löhne, Ludwigshafen, Lünen, Mainz, Mayen, Mettmann, Moers, Mönchengladbach, Mörfelden-Walldorf, Mülheim an der Ruhr, Neustadt an der Weinstrasse, Neuwied, Oberhausen , Obertshausen, Offenbach, Pirmasens, Recklinghausen, Recklinghausen district, Remscheid, Saarbrücken, Salzgitter, Schwerin, Schwerte, Solingen, Trier, Unna district, Voerde, Völklingen, Waldbröl, Waltrop, Werne, Wesel, Wesel district, Witten, Worms, Wülfrath, Wuppertal and Zweibrücken.
The important tenor is that the cities are in distress through no fault of their own. All cities are characterized by structural change and have above-average social spending and below-average tax revenue. Simply put: There is a huge financial gap in the city’s coffers.
64 municipalities from all over Germany are begging for help – Dortmund is there
Although Dortmund has, among other things, an exemplary structural change project with the Phoenix Lake – which looked completely different 23 years ago – Dortmund and the Ruhr area still lag behind when compared to Germany. The Dortmund Institute for Regional and Urban Development Research (ILS) also has this opinion in a recently published study.
The problem surrounding the not yet completed structural change, factors such as general price increases, interest rate increases and collective agreements are exacerbating the financial situation of the municipalities, according to the action alliance’s letter.
Dortmund asks Federal President Steinmeier for help – the city wants to respond again
In particular, the cities hear questions again and again from their citizens such as: “Why do our streets look so dilapidated?” or: “Why can’t I get a place in the daycare center?” The result is a loss of trust.
That is why the city of Dortmund and 63 other municipalities are begging Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier for help: “We need your help. Your words are strong signals.” The municipalities want to be able to give answers to the citizens’ “why”.
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