Offenbach district: Corona tears holes in the community coffers

• OfAndreas Hartmann

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The taxpayers’ association is sounding the alarm: Eight municipalities in the Offenbach district have to access reserves for their annual financial statements – and several cities have probably also increased property tax for this reason.

What the corona pandemic means for cities and municipalities. the annual municipal financial analysis of the Federation of Taxpayers (BdSt) Hessen, which also took a close look at the Offenbach district, is concerned. In 2021 there were more and in some cases massive increases in property tax B than in the previous year, according to the BdSt. Four municipalities would have increased these taxes, so in 2020 there were only two.

Only four cities and municipalities manage without a deficit, the other eight want to compensate for it in the annual financial statements by withdrawing from reserves, according to the BdSt. Dietzenbach is planning a deficit for 2021 that cannot be compensated with reserves. “It is currently showing how important it is for cities and municipalities to put their finances on healthy feet in good times. This is the only way they can cope with crises without massive cuts, ”says Jochen Kilp, local authority expert from the Hessian Taxpayers Association.

In the case of property tax B, which is levied on built-up or developable land and also affects tenants via the additional costs, there was the strongest increase of 185 points in Langen. The BdSt criticizes that the scissors of the assessment rates go further apart. Langen is now at the top of the circle with 860 percent, while Neu-Isenburg remains the lowest with 350 percent. The average assessment rate of the 13 district municipalities rose significantly, namely by 35 points to 562 percent. According to the taxpayer association, this value is well above the average for all Hessian cities, which was 475 percent in 2020.

The trade tax multiplier increased only in Heusenstamm by 20 points to now 380 percent. At the top of the circle is Dietzenbach with 395 percentage points. The traders in Neu-Isenburg have to bear the lowest burden, where the assessment rate is 345 percent. With an average of 372 percent, the district remains just below the Hessian average of 387 percent. aph

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