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Altenburg district in financial distress: District administrator waives budget for 2026!
District Administrator Uwe Melzer provides information about the budget crisis in Altenburger Land in 2026, the strict financial situation and the necessary transparency.
Altenburg district in financial distress: District administrator waives budget for 2026!
The Altenburger Land district is in a tense financial situation, as District Administrator Uwe Melzer (CDU) announced today. There will be no draft budget for the 2026 financial year. This is a drastic step that puts a finger in the wound of municipal finances. The increasing district levy puts an enormous burden on the cities and municipalities in the region and makes it clear to what extent the structural underfinancing by the state and federal levels endangers the municipalities' ability to act, reports abg-info.de.
This financial misery has widespread consequences. Not submitting a budget draft could even be seen as an official misconduct, since the district administrator is legally obliged to submit a budget statute according to Section 56 of the ThürKO. The pro-ALTENBURG faction in the city council has already reacted and submitted a request to the city administration. Their goal is to clarify the financial impact of an expected increase in the district levy on the city budget.
The urgency of transparency
Proper planning is only possible if the district discloses all relevant figures and the budget. The district administrator himself emphasizes that transparency and publicity are essential for democratic financial policy. A disclosed budget, even if it shows a deficit, would be an important step in making the existing underfunding visible.
However, the situation in Altenburger Land is not unique. A look at the Karlsruhe district shows that the problem is widespread. District Administrator Dr. Christoph Schnaudigel presented a draft for the 2025 district budget to the district council on November 14, 2024, which contained alarming figures: Over 80 percent of the 35 districts in Baden-Württemberg cannot balance their budgets from current income. Social costs have increased by 50 million euros and debt has reached a new high of 312.2 million euros, as meinka.de reported.
Financial challenges at a glance
- Kreisumlage steigt von 27,5 auf 32 Prozentpunkte
- Finanzplanvolumen: knapp 716 Millionen Euro
- Erhöhung um 52 Millionen Euro im Vergleich zum Vorjahr
- Haushaltsentwurf enthält nur die notwendigsten Ausgaben
The precarious situation in these districts means that cities and municipalities cannot avoid saving on their own budgets. What applies to the Altenburg district is also an issue in Karlsruhe. The increasing challenges make it clear: If you don't have the necessary financial resources, you will eventually find yourself without room for maneuver.
The problems of financial undersupply are therefore not just a local issue, but reflect a nationwide trend that requires urgent action. As citizens, we must insist on providing clear and transparent information about our finances - this is the only way we as a community can find solutions and prevent financial misery from bringing us further to our knees.