Vorpommern-Greifswald district council: lack of money and new future strategies!

Vorpommern-Greifswald district council: lack of money and new future strategies!

The Vorpommern-Greifswald district is facing financial challenges that have a strong impact on current budget planning and future development. At the most recent district council meeting, Michael Sack was appointed as the new district administrator after winning the runoff election in May with 61.4%. Sack and the district council members are working intensively on the budget for the next two years, which is urgently needed despite increasing expenses in the areas of youth, social affairs and asylum. This is accompanied by a discussion about financial support for Heringsdorf Airport, where there is no legal basis for help. Here too, the course must be set to stabilize the district budget. NDR reports that ...

The situation is precarious in the truest sense of the word: the district has a deficit of 166 million euros, which is to be reduced by 2026. This puts people's livelihoods at risk because social costs are constantly rising. In addition, the required payments from the state do not come on time, which leads to a worsening of the financial situation. The head of the finance department, Dietger Wille, has already sharply criticized the cooperation with the Ministry of the Interior. The district council has instructed District Administrator Sack to ask the state to pay outstanding deductions and, if necessary, demand compensation. Nordkurier reports that ...

Debt and public services

The debate about the debt problem in the district council is not new, but it is becoming all the more pressing due to payment delays. Interest of 3,500 euros accrues every day for new cash loans. Also on the agenda are measures to improve financial stability, with every euro counted. In particular, the missing 9.7 million euros for integration assistance and social benefits, which the district has already paid in advance, represents a serious burden. Given this situation, it is also clear that all districts and independent cities in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania are struggling with a similar financial crisis - a total amount of 100 million euros is in question. Stgt-MV declares that ...

Future developments are particularly worrying. The district council has commissioned the Vorpommern-Greifswald transport company to request a default guarantee for a loan worth five million euros. These funds will be used to purchase buses and the Usedomer Bäderbahn location in Ahlbeck. There is also a discussion about bus traffic on Usedom from next year, and the correction of the legal basis, which is intended to benefit Heringsdorf Airport, is also being sought.

Political decisions and public debate

The political factions in the district council, including the SPD, CDU, GuTe Party and Die Linke, have spoken out against the planned oil and gas production on the Polish side off Usedom. An application calls on the state government to take a position against these projects at the federal and EU levels. Meanwhile, the AfD takes a different position by supporting the favored, but significantly more expensive, southern variant of the planned Zirchow bypass. The key tenets of these political debates make it clear how important a good hand is for the district's finances and infrastructure.

At a time when financial challenges are growing, it is crucial that the district council members and the new district administrator Michael Sack find a clear course to put the district on a stable path. The coming decisions will point the way for the development of the region and the quality of life of the citizens of Vorpommern-Greifswald.