Anklam's city representatives reject higher salaries for volunteers!

Anklam's city representatives reject higher salaries for volunteers!

There are currently exciting discussions in Anklam's city politics about compensation for volunteers. As the Nordkurier reports, city officials have just decided that they do not want any new financial incentives for their volunteer work. This comes against the background that the country has increased salaries for such offices in order to encourage more citizens to get involved. Anklam's mayor Michael Galander emphasizes that the revision of the main statutes is based on these new references.

But many city representatives in Anklam see an increase in salaries as a wrong signal in times of tight municipal finances. Christian Schröder, parliamentary group leader of the Initiatives for Anklam (IfA), puts it in a nutshell: An increase could have a negative impact on the budget deficit and compares this with the overall funding for sport or social projects. There are even representatives who donate their volunteer money to other organizations - a strong sign of solidarity among volunteers.

Conversations and reflections

The vote on the new version of the main statutes was postponed. The representatives would like to see further discussion in smaller groups before a decision is made. Hannes Campe from the CDU suggests introducing appropriate compensation for deputy mayors, as their tasks require a lot of effort.

Steffen Göritz (CDU) also called for the regulation for deputies in the committees to be discussed again. It is clear that there are still many decisions to be made here, which the administration must now work through taking local law into account.

Legal background

In practice, expense allowances are not mandatory in local politics. According to the GemO (§ 18), municipalities can decide whether to pay compensation to council members or not. However, if a regulation exists, it must cover all necessary expenses, explains the municipal Brevier. Different forms of payment are possible - for example as a monthly average rate or as an attendance fee.

The German Voluntary Office also provides interesting information on this topic. Non-profit corporations are allowed to compensate volunteers for their efforts tax-free. The volunteer allowance of up to 840 euros or the trainer allowance of up to 3,000 euros per year per person are also relevant aspects. If the allowances are exceeded, they are considered income subject to income tax.

Of course, the question arises as to how much financial support is actually necessary for voluntary work without putting an excessive burden on municipal coffers. Ultimately, the discourse in Anklam remains exciting and it will be interesting to see in which direction the city representatives steer together.

Overall, it can be seen that the issue of compensation for volunteers in Anklam is leading to a profound discussion about how appreciation and necessary financial support can be coordinated - a challenge that is currently being discussed in many cities and municipalities.