“Milestones for the development of Bruck and Wilfleinsdorf” would be set with the 2024 budget, City Councilor for Finance Josef Newertal (SPÖ) emphasized that they wanted to invest primarily in quality of life, education and social coexistence. And the budget for the coming year actually contains some key points from these areas. Around 100,000 euros will be spent on the first planning steps for a new or completely overhauled music school building, 200,000 euros will flow into the further renovation of the municipal buildings, but, among other things, there will also be the architectural competition for the planned educational campus and the continuation of the water renovation in Harrachpark financed. In total, the investments amount to around 3.7 million euros.
Newertal also spoke about the difficult conditions for the communities. Ongoing recession, worse cards for financial equalization, increasing amounts for social assistance and NÖKAS surcharge are challenging for the city. “But I am convinced that we will overcome the challenges well,” emphasized Newertal, referring to the reduction in debt in the coming year from 18.9 to 18.6 million euros.
The bottom line is that with income of 29,904,000 euros in income and 30,323,000 euros in expenses, just over 300,000 euros will be missing from the budget, which should be covered by the budget reserves.
Green report shows financial crash
But this minus is just the beginning, an analysis commissioned by the Greens criticizes the development of the city’s finances in clear terms. In view of the medium-term financial plan, which represents the plans for 2025 to 2028, there is talk of a “dramatic crash in the city’s finances”. On average, a loss of 600,000 euros is planned. After 2025, this value will literally explode to a loss of two to four million euros per year. “The net assets are being reduced, which means that the parallel debt reduction has no lasting effect,” says the report by the Baden financial manager Andreas Parrer, who was commissioned by the Greens. In addition, 98 percent of the budget reserves are uncovered. The report speaks of a financing gap of nine million euros by 2028. “I find the adulation and the rose-colored glasses with which people act here terrible,” said Green Party spokesman Roman Kral to the City Councilor for Finance and emphasized: “In such a situation, the following applies it to react.”
However, Newertal was unimpressed. The same Green Party expert had already painted a similar “horror scenario” in 2021. In Kral’s direction, he countered that the Green Party leader should “perhaps do the work of working through the budget himself and forming an opinion.” And Mayor Gerhard Weil also made no secret of the fact that he was talking about the Green Party’s “Wunderwuzi”. doesn’t hold much. “He is not a miracle worker and not a specialist.” The incorrect net result stated in the report is merely “the personal opinion of the expert.”
Conciliatory from the ÖVP
Unusually conciliatory tones came from the ÖVP at the estimate. “What the Greens long for is a paradigm shift. We have already given up hope on that,” said ÖVP spokesman Ronald Altmann pragmatically and also acknowledged that the general conditions are actually difficult. He therefore wants to concentrate on details in the budget. He once again highlighted the town hall as a “symptomatic budget item”. In the coming year, the hoped-for income of 3,000 euros would be offset by a whopping 63,500 euros in expenses. “Including 13,000 euros in gas costs, even though we carried out an extremely expensive conversion to district heating,” said Altmann, who also wanted some nice measures for the city center and more involvement in budget preparation. What was positive for him was that all expenses for the fire department were taken into account in the budget. And ÖVP chairwoman Tina Heissenberger also emphasized: “We recognize the will to make savings.”
The ÖVP therefore agreed to the estimate for the first time in a long time. The figures were therefore accepted by the majority. Only the two Green mandates came from opposing votes.
