The evening council meeting on Thursday evening (starting at 8 p.m.) was eagerly awaited. The open question: Will there be majority approval for the 2024 budget in the second attempt. As reported, at the special municipal council meeting on February 29th, the ÖVP proposed a profit distribution from the city’s own Energie Ried in the amount of 1.7 million euros in order to do so to bring together a balanced budget. The vote ended with 16 yes votes and 20 no votes.
One day following the local council meeting, the SPÖ and FPÖ invited people to a joint press conference. They criticized the ÖVP and called on Mayor Bernhard Zwielehner to conduct negotiations with the state. SPÖ deputy mayor Peter Stummer and FPÖ deputy city boss Thomas Dim appeared combative. “We’re putting on the boxing gloves and fighting for Ried,” announced the duo, click here for this report.
“Unsustainable situation”
So much for the background: City Councilor for Finance Elisabeth Poringer appealed to the common sense of the local councilors. “Associations are hanging in the air and fearing for their existence, renaturation has been stopped. Many projects cannot be realized.” For the city, the current situation is an “unsustainable situation.”
“We don’t want to abandon what’s best for the city of Ried and the clubs. We have it in our own hands, so we should act accordingly,” said Poringer.
“Three-way alliance” with proposal
During the “second attempt” for a budget, the SPÖ, FPÖ and the Greens made it clear to around 25 listeners immediately followingwards that there would probably be no white smoke coming out of the chimney of the Ried town hall once more. Why? Without votes from these factions, a majority in the local council is impossible. The “Rieder Alliance” submitted an application for a (renewed) special municipal council on April 18th. But that’s not all: a “plan for the future” was also presented by FPÖ deputy mayor Thomas Dim. In this, the parliamentary groups requested that the budget votes be postponed until the written report from the state review, i.e. a detailed (financial) audit of the municipality by the state, has been submitted. This is expected to be presented on April 11th. In addition, the application for a special municipal council was submitted on April 18th. This is “necessary for a broad budget majority,” write the SPÖ, Greens and FPÖ.
In addition, Dim presented the points of the future plan – divided into six points. Among other things, a “scheduled and personalized plan for the financial structure from 2025 is to be drawn up. If there are no changes from the state, people want to know what a “Plan B” should look like for the coming years. In every local council and city council meeting, a report from the finance officer on the current situation must be presented. A profit distribution from Energie Ried will be unavoidable this year. “Therefore, earmarking for measures planned and budgeted for this year,” it says verbatim in the letter from the three factions.
The profit distribution should be used to create a pool for sports, culture and social affairs for 2024, which will be worked out by the respective committees. Another demand: “The creation of a personalized communication plan for planning security. “It cannot be the case that departments and clubs find out regarding cuts from the media,” says the letter “If we give approval in April, we will approve the budget,” said Dim, who became quite emotional as he spoke.
Großbötzl: “Really a small affront”
“There are a few yes-eh suggestions and some organizational suggestions. That can be decided, but we can also do that today so that we finally have security,” said ÖVP parliamentary group leader Michael Großbötzl. Großbötzl added that the accusation once morest the ÖVP that they were “doing politics in the backroom” was “really a small affront”. If you don’t decide on a budget, uncertainty will remain, including for clubs, institutions and community employees, said Großbötzl.
“We know that by distributing profits we can only balance the budget. The problem is what do we do in the next few years when we are missing 18 million euros,” said SPÖ deputy city leader Peter Stummer. The ÖVP is called upon because, among other things, it provides the finance minister, who is responsible for financial equalization. Stummer said he feared “a bottomless hole” and that further profit distributions from Energie Ried might become necessary.
ÖVP Vice Mayor Claudia Schlossleitner defended Mayor Zwielehner. “You certainly can’t blame him for not involving other parties. I would say that the openness with which he approaches his political competitors is breathtaking. I’ve never seen that before.” She also appealed to pass the budget. The demands put forward by the “Allianz” might be decided today,” said Schossleitner.
Conversation in a small group was not successful
“We’re welcome to decide on the six points, I think they’re great. But we should please decide on the budget today,” said city boss Zwielehner. “Then we can work once more from tomorrow and offer the clubs a perspective, but now waiting until April 18th makes no sense. Maybe the report from the state won’t come until April 19th, what do we do then? It “It would be good if everyone might jump over their shadows for the good of the municipality,” said Zwielehner, who following this statement asked the leaders of the three factions for a short “multi-eye discussion” and interrupted the meeting for this.
After 26 minutes, the party leaders returned. Zwielehner was unable to change the minds of the SPÖ, FPÖ and the Greens. The budget votes were taken off the agenda and postponed. The next attempt will be in a special local council on April 18th.
This means that Ried will have to continue to work with a “provisional budget” at least until the special local council. As already reported, funding, for example for clubs, cannot be paid out. The vacuum is also a more than unsatisfactory situation for the municipality’s employees.
Several agenda items then had to be deleted because no resolutions might be made due to the still missing budget. Among other things, those responsible for the UTC Fischer Ried club are still hanging in the air. A decision to renovate the tennis facility might not be made.
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