Better funding for local authorities: Mayors keep up the pressure on Berlin

Offenbach is also part of the alliance: Lord Mayor Dr. Felix Schwenke and City Treasurer Peter Freier recently made an urgent plea in Berlin at a hearing before the Bundestag for the federal government to also take over the financing of its laws. "So far, it has often worked like this: The federal government orders and we in Offenbach then have to see for ourselves how we finance the services that we have to provide on the basis of federal and state laws," said Offenbach's Lord Mayor Schwenke, criticizing the decades-long practice that has led to high levels of debt not only in Offenbach, but in numerous cities in Germany.

The campaign cities are therefore urgently calling for a solution to the problem of old debts, which has arisen primarily as a result of social legislation. "Because the federal and state governments have not provided adequate financial compensation in the past, local authorities have not only had to take on high levels of debt," Schwenke reminds us. "There has also long been a lack of money for important infrastructure measures and services for our citizens. Especially because local authorities are no longer allowed to take on new debt and we no longer want this for reasons of intergenerational fairness." To prevent the gap between rich and poor municipalities from widening, Schwenke believes the federal government has a duty to work towards equal living conditions in Germany: "If the federal government does not react, many municipalities will face financial collapse. We in Offenbach know the difficulties that have developed due to the financial difficulties of many cities." The aim must now be to save local authorities from a final collapse and to preserve the quality of life of their citizens.

Representatives of the campaign alliance traveled to Berlin today with these demands in their luggage. Lord Mayor Ulrich Scholten from Mülheim an der Ruhr, former Lord Mayor Dr. Bernhard Matheis from Pirmasens, Mayor Dirk Glaser from Hattingen, City Director and Treasurer Dr. Johannes Slawig from Wuppertal and Mayor and Treasurer Ralf Latz from Saarbrücken will be in talks with Federal Finance Minister Olaf Scholz and Minister President Armin Laschet. "We see Scholz and Laschet as reliable supporters of a joint solution for old debts between the federal, state and local governments," they say. "We trust in their word and demand solutions by the end of the year!"

After an "encouraging discussion" at the Federal Ministry of Finance with State Secretary Dr. Rolf Bösinger, Lord Mayor Scholten and City Director Dr. Slawig, who travelled to Berlin, are confident for the entire campaign alliance: "But we still have a long way to go. We will continue our efforts to find an overdue solution to the problem of old debts. At the same time, we also need sustainable relief in the social sector, because we must not take on any new municipal debt in the future. This package to secure our municipal budgets must be put together by the end of the year."

The new round of talks is part of a large-scale campaign by the campaign alliance "For the dignity of our cities". Just three months ago, the alliance sent beer mats to all members of government and MPs at federal and state level with the inscription: "A purity law also applies to politics: He who orders, pays!"