Strict budgetary discipline despite likely positive annual financial statements for 2021

The city of Offenbach is still required to make savings. This was evident not least from the budget approval issued by the Darmstadt Regional Council on April 7, 2022, in which Offenbach's financial situation is still classified as very tight. Even the recently published information from the State Statistical Office on the municipal financing surplus in Hesse in 2021 does not change the city's savings targets: "It is correct that the municipal financing surplus in Hesse for 2021 is once again above the previous year's figure. However, it is fundamentally wrong to assume that Offenbach has sufficient funds to finance public transport, for example," says City Treasurer Martin Wilhelm.

At 50.3 million euros, Offenbach has generated a high surplus compared to the other Hessian municipalities, Wilhelm continued. The 50.3 million euros also mentioned in a press release are liquid funds, the majority of which are also tied up for specific projects and are therefore not freely available. "When the budget was drawn up, a good result was already assumed in the budget protection concept, which is why there is unfortunately no greater leeway despite the surplus." The reason for this is that the City of Offenbach will not present a balanced financial budget in 2022 and 2023 and therefore urgently needs the liquid surpluses for upcoming projects. "The goal of a balanced financial budget can only be achieved again, and only just, from 2024. The strict requirements of the RP continue to apply, especially as the effects of the corona pandemic and the very uncertain times as a result of the war, for example due to rising inflation, cannot yet be validly estimated," emphasizes Wilhelm.

The city's treasury is currently working on the annual financial statements, which will be presented to the municipal council in June. The preliminary figures have already been presented to the municipal council, but the annual financial statements have not yet been published. "It is not customary to present the figures with explanatory notes before the official balance sheet. This has also been the case in previous years. The 2019 annual financial statements were presented on 01.07.2020 and the 2020 annual financial statements on 19.05.2021. This was followed by a press conference in which the public was also informed about the annual financial statements. We will be able to adhere to this schedule again this year," says Wilhelm.