Three million euros

Financial injection for police sports club causes a stir

The PSV home on the banks of the Traun is getting on in years.(Bild: Wenzel Markus)

A heated debate is set to take place in the municipal council on Monday, July 8. The Wels police sports club is to receive a grant of three million euros for the construction of the new clubhouse and shooting range. The "funding package" also includes a controversial sale of the club's own property.

With almost 1100 members, the police sports club, founded in 1933, is one of the largest sports clubs in Wels. Both the clubhouse and the shooting range are getting on in years. The upcoming municipal council meeting on Monday is set to initiate the 4.8 million euro renovation with a three million euro injection of funds from the city. The state will contribute 1.1 million euros and the federal government 350,000 euros. The club is financing the rest with a loan.

PSV president is deputy mayor
The debates are fueled by the fact that Gerhard Kroiß (FP), the city's deputy mayor and sports officer, is the president of the "policemen". However, he announces that he will stay away from the vote. With the votes of the remaining FP politicians, Neos and MFG, there should be a majority.

The Greens have been very skeptical about the Wels police sports club project from the outset and already voted against funding the planning costs last year.

Thomas Rammerstorfer, Grünen-Stadtrat

Both Green councillor Thomas Rammerstorfer and VP councillor Martin Oberndorfer reject the project. The latter criticized the €3.5 million shooting range: "It is problematic that the decision on the new building is to be made before the sports facility concept is drawn up. While the PSV is to receive approval now, a decision on the renovation needs of the other clubs will not be made until the fall. That is unfair."

Suspicion of a hidden subsidy
The "financing package" is also controversial. Two million euros will flow as a pure subsidy. In addition, there is one million for the purchase of the 7,000 square meter site, which the city will then make available to the club for 80 years without restriction. Oberndorfer: "This would only make the city the formal owner."

The decision as to whether Wels can afford a new shooting hall or not also depends on what investments will be necessary in Wels sport in the coming years.

Martin Oberndorfer, ÖVP-Stadtrat

Kroiß rules out the possibility that this is a hidden subsidy: "We have had this checked. The building rights contract is in order." The fact that the PSV was awarded the subsidy earlier is due to the fact that the project was submitted a very long time ago and the funding commitment from the state has now been received.