Municipalities have reached the end of their financial capacity
The district of Waldeck-Frankenberg and its towns and municipalities are facing an unprecedented budget situation: the tasks are constantly increasing, but there is a lack of income. The meagre financial resources provided by the federal and state governments cannot even come close to compensating for the deficits. In a joint statement, the district, towns and municipalities emphasise the seriousness of the situation - and call on politicians to take action.
Higher social expenditure, increased personnel costs, inflation and a growing range of tasks resulting from state and federal legislation: The burdens at municipal level have continued to rise in recent years. In Waldeck-Frankenberg - as in many other districts - this has now led to the local authorities reaching the end of their financial capacity. District Administrator Jürgen van der Horst and First District Councillor Karl-Friedrich Frese, together with the mayors of all towns and municipalities in Waldeck-Frankenberg, have made an urgent appeal to the federal and state governments.
The budget situation is worrying
"Local authority expenditure has been rising rapidly for years, while income has remained at almost the same level. We cannot continue to balance this delta. The district, cities and municipalities cannot continue to shoulder this burden alone. The end of the municipalities' financial capacity has been reached," says District Administrator Jürgen van der Horst. "This development and the associated underfunding not only means that the budgets have a substantial deficit, but also limits local self-government and the scope for action to a minimum," continues Karl-Friedrich Frese, First District Councillor.
In view of the many mandatory tasks, the municipalities lack the money to invest in local infrastructure, not to mention voluntary services, criticises Battenberg's mayor Christian Klein - on behalf of all mayors and the mayoress in Waldeck-Frankenberg: "Further tax increases and thus an additional financial burden on local people are unacceptable. It is also the responsibility of the state and federal government to ensure healthy municipal finances." Whoever orders services must ensure that costs are covered accordingly.
More support from the federal and state governments
Together with the district, the towns and municipalities in Waldeck-Frankenberg are calling on state and federal politicians to agree on how they will support local authorities in coping with their tasks. They demand: Local authorities must receive an appropriate share of tax revenues at state or federal level. Tasks assigned to the municipalities must be financed accordingly. And: The local self-administration guaranteed in the constitution must once again be placed more in the centre of attention. This will restore the municipalities' freedom of action and strengthen local democracy. The federal and state governments must not ignore this responsibility.