"Krone" series

Almost all Tennengau municipalities suffer from a lack of money

Abtenau is planning a mega project.

(Bild: Tschepp Markus)

Budgets are tight. This is having an impact on investments. Most municipalities have to make savings. In the annual preview for 2025, the mayors of the 13 Tennengau towns tell "Krone" readers what they are planning for their residents in the coming year.

Hallein 
The saline town must and will make savings, according to the course set by town mayor Alexander Stangassinger. Investments in 2025 will therefore be reduced to the expansion of the Burgfried secondary school and the extension of the Celtic Museum attic.

Scheffau
Friedl Strubreiter also has to make savings. Investments have been postponed. Scheffau is concentrating on mandatory tasks: Road renovations, repairing bridge railings or renewing play equipment at the children's playground.

Bad Vigaun
"Apart from saving money, nothing is on the agenda in Vigaun this year," says Mayor Alexander Sartori. As in other municipalities, the budget situation is very tight. Only small things, such as an avenue of trees at the medical center, are planned.

Kuchl
Thomas Freylinger, head of the village, would like to see the kitchen renovation in the retirement home as the most important investment. The new building will cost 1.5 million euros, but is still pending. The extension to the elementary school has already been postponed.

Hallein is pushing ahead with a school renovation.

(Bild: Tschepp Markus)

St. Koloman
According to ÖVP local leader Herbert Walkner, St. Koloman is only investing in infrastructure due to a budget shortfall: renovation of the Tauglbodenstraße, the provincial road is also being invested in and bus stops are on the agenda.

Adnet
Completion of a major project: the shell of the new elementary school was finished in time for winter 2024. "Our pupils can move in at the start of the new school year," says a delighted Wolfgang Auer, head of the local ÖVP party.

Abtenau
Abtenau is dominated by a mega project: the construction of a new secondary school with 16 classes. According to Mayor Hans Schnitzhofer (ÖVP), the old school has had its day after 73 years and will be rebuilt at a cost of 22 million euros by the end of 2026.

Rußbach
In Rußbach, Mayor Stefan Lanner looks at the budget with satisfaction. The municipality is doing surprisingly well. This year, the sports field, with climbing tower and motor skills park, is scheduled for completion at a cost of 800,000 euros.

Krispl
"Strict savings are the order of the day this year," says local leader Martin Wallmann (ÖVP). No major investments are planned. But: "Our fire department will get a new vehicle at the beginning of 2026. That will cost a small fortune."

Annaberg-Lungötz
The expansion of the elementary school from four to eight classes will cost the municipality 5.4 million euros. According to Mayor Martin Promok, the town is doing well in budgetary terms. The situation is not easy, but you can't talk everything down.

Puch
"I have taken on a very large mountain of debt in Puch," says SPÖ mayor Barbara Schweitl. Nevertheless, the nine million euro expansion of the nursery school will begin this year. Completion is planned for 2026.

Golling
"We have a really tough budget," says local leader Martin Dietrich. The motto? "Save, save, save." Keeping the infrastructure running and securing the future of Aqua Salza are the goals in the national budget crisis.

Oberalm
Oberalm will begin planning two major projects in 2025: the construction of a retirement home and a new fire station. According to Mayor Hans-Jörg Haslauer, the following applies to the retirement home: "Plan in 2025, build in 2026, open in 2027."