Erfurt (dpa/th) – At the beginning of the year, the expenditures of the Thuringian municipalities rose somewhat more than their income. From January to March of this year, the municipalities spent 1.51 billion euros, as the State Statistical Office announced on Monday in Erfurt. That was 66.9 million or 4.6 percent more than in the same period last year. During this period, revenue increased by only 57 million euros or 4.4 percent to 1.37 billion euros.

The major expenditure items of the cities and municipalities as well as the administrative communities and districts included wages and salaries at 421.6 million euros and investments in construction measures at 118.7 million euros. The current allocations and subsidies from the state rose by 3.5 percent compared to the same period last year and amounted to 822.5 million euros.

Income from taxes and duties amounted to 327.2 million euros in the first three months. This corresponds to an increase of 74.4 million euros or 29.4 percent. According to the information, the plus is mainly due to the increased income from trade tax, which at 244 million euros was 16.3 percent higher than in the first quarter of 2021.