Bad Nauheim is in the black. The spa town in the Wetterau closed last year with a surplus of millions. For example, the municipality has spent less money on electricity as well as gas and fuel than planned. In trade taxes, it has collected more than estimated. This is a six-figure sum. This is shown by the annual financial statements adopted by the magistrate on Tuesday. In addition, there is a reduction in expenditure on the maintenance of buildings amounting to almost four million euros - this was due to disrupted supply chains and a lack of offers from craftsmen.
Thorsten Winter
Correspondent of the Rhein-Main-Zeitung for Central Hesse and the Wetterau.
- Follow I follow
As Mayor Klaus Kreß (independent) said in an interview with the F.A.Z., the annual surplus amounts to a good 5.4 million euros. He is very satisfied with it. Especially since the city had gone into the budget year with a planned deficit of 7.4 million euros and the city councillors passed two supplementary budgets. The overall financial accounts show a budget of just under 45.3 million euros, as can be seen from the municipal bill.
Investor sought for new ice rink
However, the surplus is "no reason for euphoria," Kress emphasized. This is because liquidity will gradually flow out because of the loans taken out. Bad Nauheim, for example, has to cope with the construction of the new Sprudelhof-Therme. The new building, including the 14 million euros for the underground car park, will cost almost 60 million euros. In addition, there are a good seven million euros for the brine gushing out of the ground, which the city has to pay to the state every year. It is true that local companies have paid 1.3 million euros more in trade taxes than planned. However, there are special effects "that are to be called one-off," the bill continues.
Against this backdrop, Kress reaffirmed his commitment that there will be no local tax increases if he is re-elected. The ballot will take place on 7 May. Kress is the only candidate.
Despite the good budget situation, the incumbent dampens any spending requests. The planned new ice rink needs an investor – the city is very reluctant to be the developer. Nevertheless, investments in the aging Colonel Knight Stadium would come to the city in order to keep it fit for the second ice hockey league and to enable EC Bad Nauheim to continue to participate in the DEL 2. The stadium is not enough for the DEL, which is why the club had already ruled out promotion before the final series, which had just ended in second place, and pushed ahead with new construction plans.