Rallying Cry for Reinforced Funding and Structural Changes: Municipalities of Saxony Speak Out
Municipalities call for enhanced financial aid and essential structural transformations - Authorities at the local level advocate for increased funding and systemic changes
In a united call to action, cities and municipalities across Saxony are advocating for increased, cost-covering funding and structural reforms that prioritize streamlined processes, reduced bureaucracy, and revitalized municipal self-government. This impassioned plea was echoed by Bert Wendsche, president of the Saxon Cities and Municipalities Association (SSG), following its recent member assembly in Leipzig.
Wendsche and fellow municipal leaders believe unequivocally, "It's time for a new wave of momentum!"
The SSG's vision encompasses optimizing municipal operations by eliminating excess tasks, minimizing guidelines, and standards. Leipzig's Mayor, Burkhard Jung (SPD), adds his voice to this demand, gaining broad support across Saxony.
"We're ready to boost trust once more," interjects Jung. "Municipalities feel their input has been overlooked when decisions are made on high." As financial resources remain tight, municipal leaders are "forced, for the sake of our democracies and the people we serve, to forge solutions together."
Structural Funding Abyss Looms Large
Compounding these challenges, Wendsche claims last year's funding gap of 691 million euros—the largest since 1990—is more than just a temporary setback. This towering deficit represents a deep-rooted structural issue that mirrors a mounting sense of despair in cities and municipalities.
Based on the SSG's demands, municipalities should be given the freedom to fund their capital and personnel expenses from current revenues. To this end, the Free State should allocate additional funds from the 2027/2028 double budget. It is essential for municipalities to participate in the federal special fund according to their 80% share of public infrastructure, with funds invested immediately and efficiently across urban centers and rural areas.
Kretschmer: "We must confront reality"
Government leader Michael Kretschmer (CDU) expressed willingness to address some of the SSG's demands, such as a flat rate for childcare expenses and compensation for additional heating costs. However, Kretschmer emphasized the ongoing budgetary pressures the state faces.
"We must face the truth," declared Kretschmer. Assembling a budget of 25 billion euros—a record-breaking volume for the state—still leaves a shortfall of 2 billion euros, Kretschmer explains. Emergency measures are underway to rectify the budget imbalance, including reducing one-quarter of the state's personnel costs.
Allocating the special fund responsibly, "major challenges" like education, hospitals, fire protection, and digitization should be tackled first. Kretschmer advocates for investing the funds in comprehensive measures totaling at least 100,000 to 150,000 euros, rather than scattering the funds haphazardly.
- Municipality
- Structural reform
- Saxony
- Leipzig
- Burkhard Jung
- Michael Kretschmer
- SPD
- Michael Kretschmer, the government leader of Saxony, has recognized the demands for change in the structural policies of municipalities, such as streamlining processes, reducing bureaucracy, and boosting municipal self-government, as advocated by the Saxon Cities and Municipalities Association (SSG) and Leipzig's Mayor, Burkhard Jung (SPD).
- The financial struggle faced by municipalities in Saxony, exacerbated by a funding gap of 691 million euros last year, calls for immediate structural reforms, including increased funding and the freedom for municipalities to fund their capital and personnel expenses from current revenues, as proposed by the SSG and Mayor Jung.
