Fürstenwalde in turmoil: 400 citizens protest in cuts!
Fürstenwalde in turmoil: 400 citizens protest in cuts!
in Fürstenwalde (Oder-Spree), the city council recently decided to shorten voluntary services, a step that was not without protest. From 2026, grants for social institutions, cultural sites and sports clubs will be linked to the income from tax money and grants. Specifically, this means a reduction from about 9.5% to 6% of the tax revenue, which could lead to a decline of over two million euros, while the income remains stable. The decision was made primarily with votes from the AfD and the Fürstenwalder Future (BFZ) alliance. RBBB24 reports that the representatives justify this with the need for a balanced household.
Around 400 people protested during the session, including children, young people and club representatives who called for the preservation of the sports facilities. Mayor Matthias Rudolph plans talks with the affected clubs and providers to find possible solutions. An important point is to check whether the city can operate sports facilities itself in order to offer the clubs free use in the future.
budget cuts in Brandenburg
The situation in Fürstenwalde is not an isolated case. Other communities in Brandenburg also face similar challenges. As Tagesspiegel reports, cities and circles urgently need to delete services due to planned household cuts. Jens Graf, Managing Director of the Association of Cities and Municipalities, said in a special meeting of the state parliament that the municipalities have to save, which has an impact on cultural houses, social benefits and school expansion.
These austerity measures come at a time when many municipalities are already in a financial crisis, which is further tightened by high personnel, social, social, energy and construction costs. Finance Minister Robert Crumbach has an understanding of the situation of the municipalities, but the financial resources are still classified as limited. At the same time, the municipalities, the district council, emphasize many of their compulsory tasks, such as the preservation of streets and healthcare, must continue to meet.
investments and challenges
As part of a review of the past few years and an outlook on 2024, similar problems have been noticed. The [German Association of Cities and Municipalities] (https://www.sueddeutsche.de/politik/sozaleierten-staedtte-und-gemebunge-kommunen- Hausstructure-.1.6327981) predicted a deficit in the amount of ten billion euros for the municipal level. A considerable investment backlog of 166 billion euros is shown in the infrastructure, streets, public buildings, schools and sports facilities.
The doubled expenditure load for social benefits has been particularly worrying since 2005, which was around 70 billion euros in 2023. The increase in the number of asylum also puts a strain on the municipalities, so that many reach the limits of their capacities. Solutions such as language and integration courses are not sufficiently available to meet the high number of refugees.
It remains to be seen how the various municipalities, especially Fürstenwalde, will develop in view of these numerous and at the same time pressing challenges. Mayor Rudolph is required to find solutions that take into account both the financial possibilities and the needs of the citizens.
Details | |
---|---|
Ort | Fürstenwalde, Deutschland |
Quellen |
Kommentare (0)