Municipal finances

“We are not only demanding, we are also making savings”

More and more municipalities in Lower Austria are having to dip into their savings.(Bild: Pressefoto Scharinger © Daniel Scharinger)

The municipalities across Austria are demanding one billion euros from the federal government. An exaggerated request? "Absolutely not. The money is necessary and will benefit the citizens," explains Lower Austria's Association of Municipalities President Johannes Pressl. The municipalities also want to "earn" the money.

"The municipalities need support, the money will directly benefit the citizens and the municipalities will in turn work more efficiently in order to save tax money," explains Association of Municipalities President Johannes Pressl.

Falling municipal revenues, higher prices, debates about levies: Municipalities have to keep a strict eye on the money. President Pressl (second from right) and the three mayors explain: "It's clear that the municipalities are implementing savings ideas."(Bild: Molnar Attila)

Associations as service providers
With three mayors, he showed that the municipalities are not just making demands. "We are also doing something concrete," reports the mayor of Mank, Martin Leonhardsberger. The association for sewer and water charges has grown into a genuine "municipal service provider" in the region. It offers help with the implementation of the General Data Protection Regulation and the Energy Efficiency Act as well as with the tree register and the creation of homepages. 40 municipalities from the district of Melk and three other municipalities from the surrounding area use the services - and can thus save costs in their own administration.

The municipalities are struggling with a drop in income. Naturally, the mayors are looking for ways to make savings!

Johannes Pressl, NÖ-Gemeindebund

Completely new approaches were also taken in the Waldviertel: Roland Zimmer, Mayor of Bad Traunstein, also heads the Lower Austrian Childcare Association. "We currently run 16 facilities in 15 municipalities and have a pool of 34 childcare providers specializing in early childhood care," he reports. This means that almost 300 children can be looked after in their place of residence and at low cost. Due to the density of employees, it is possible to react quickly and flexibly.

Cooperation saves costs
Municipal politicians in the municipality of Reingers in the WAldviertel, which has lost almost 40 percent of its population since 1971, have also reacted flexibly - from the purchase of a fire engine and the provision of building land to wastewater disposal and events. Head of the village Andreas Kozar: "We rely on cost-saving cooperation and volunteers."

With 45,000 euros in income from municipal taxes, every expenditure has to be carefully considered. It seems to be working, because Reingers has a diverse range of clubs and events. And soon it will also have its own doctor, who will open her practice in the municipality.