Schwerin puts a budget dispute at: Investments for culture and social issues!

Schwerin puts a budget dispute at: Investments for culture and social issues!

Schwerin, Deutschland - After intensive negotiations, the city of Schwerin has finally passed a budget for 2025. As the Ostsee Zeitung In a special meeting, a compromise proposal with a large majority. This plan ensures that necessary investments, especially in the planned World Heritage Museum, and the financing of central social and cultural projects are guaranteed.

In the previous meetings in December and March, the proposal for a double budget 2025/2026 failed in particular due to planned tax increases. This rejection led to a drastic loss of revenue of over three million euros. In addition, a household ban was introduced in selected areas to meet the requirements of the Interior Ministry.

budget situation and challenges

The budget statute, which now meets the requirements, will soon be published and offers planning security for grant recipients in 2025. Schwerin has been fighting with high deficits for three decades and is dependent on the support of the country, which is only granted if no new debts are accepted. Last year the city was able to achieve a budget surplus of three million euros, which the situation relaxed at short notice.

However, the financial ceiling is burdened by increasing personnel and interest expenses as well as high expenses in social and youth welfare. At the end of 2023, the city of cash loans of around 83 million euros had to cover ongoing expenses. In the long term, the city is striving to achieve complete budget equalization by 2029 at the latest.

double budget and investment plans

Financial Director Silvio Horn presented the cornerstones of the double budget 2025/2026, which comprises a total volume of around 430 million euros. The planned budget should ensure a “black zero” in the financial budget for both years, but it is feared that the requirements of the budgetary security concept will be missed to debt awards by 2029.

One of the central points in the budget is the free student transportation for elementary school students, which is not included in the draft because it would cause additional expenses of around 1.2 million euros. In addition, an increase in accommodation, dog and trade tax is planned to close the financial gaps. An additional plus of 5.86 million euros for 2025 and 6.53 million euros for 2026 must be shown between income and expenses.

investments in the field of education

Part of the planned payments of a total of 69 million euros for 2025 and 85 million euros for 2026 flows into the education sector. The construction of a new school part in Lankow is planned with a budget of 25.3 million euros. Furthermore, the Peace School in the Paulsstadt is to be renovated for 15 million euros by 2026 and a after-school care center for the John Brinckman primary school is to be set up for 12 million euros. A new building in Mueßer wood and a regional vocational training center in Neu Zippendorf with an investment volume of 80 million euros are also part of the plans.

In addition, the street repair program continues with a budget of around 13 million euros. However, no new positions in the administration are created, apart from the integrated control center Westmecklenburg, which is promoted 90 % by health insurance companies and neighboring counties.

Overall, the situation remains tense in Schwerin. The external influence on financing by increased interest rates, deficits in local transport and the recently published census data, which show a lower number of inhabitants, strengthen the city's financial challenges. In order to successfully implement the planning, continuous budget improvements and strict use of resources are necessary, as is clearly described in the basics of budget planning fmoev .