Schwerin (dpa/mv) – The town and community day in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania has demanded more reliability from the state government when changes are made to municipal financial equalization. As the chairman of the municipal council, Thomas Breyer, explained on Monday, the state wants to reduce its grants to the municipalities. Among other things, this involves the funds for the so-called infrastructure flat rate, which municipalities can use to finance investments regardless of their own budgetary situation. According to the information, this should drop from 150 million euros a year to 100 million euros. This emerges from the accompanying budget law discussed in the finance committee.
“It is incomprehensible to us why this should take place despite increasing state revenues,” said Breyer. A reduction in times of massive, crisis-related cost increases in almost all municipal investment measures is not the right signal. The municipal association also sees itself too little involved in the deliberations on the planned double budget. The municipal umbrella organizations are therefore not given enough time to comment on changes in the law.
In addition, the association demands a fair distribution of the funds made available by the federal government for the care of refugees from Ukraine. “Should these federal funds not be sufficient, improvements must be made so that municipalities are not forced to turn the levy and tax screw,” it said.
