Shock for Norderstedt: Road expansion contributions are threatened again!

Shock for Norderstedt: Road expansion contributions are threatened again!

Things are simmering in Norderstedt: The discussion about reintroducing road expansion contributions is causing heated debates among citizens. Sven Wojtkowiak, the chairman of Haus & Grund Norderstedt, is critical of the return of these contributions and calls for them to be abolished. In 2018, Norderstedt was the first municipality in Schleswig-Holstein to abolish these fees. But now the residents may again be faced with financial burdens that could reach into the five-figure range.

The concerns are particularly great among pensioners and young families, for whom such sums could threaten their existence. Wojtkowiak emphasizes that the city of Norderstedt may not even be able to pursue the costly measure profitably, as up to 85% of the expenses could be passed on to the property owners. “It is unfair that only residents are asked to pay while tenants enjoy these roads without making a contribution,” he criticized, referring to the financing of roads through general taxes.

High costs and little relief

The calculation of the possible income from the planned road expansion contributions also shows a worrying picture. Wojtkowiak reports that the city expects revenue of around €500,000 per year, but this could quickly be exceeded by high personnel costs. The head of the Office for Building Regulations and Surveying estimates that a total of seven employees will be needed to implement the measures, which would result in significant annual costs of around €588,000 - a sum that the city of Norderstedt can hardly afford.

In addition, Wojtkowiak expressed incomprehension of the fact that a deficit fee is being put to the vote, especially since other fees such as the rain tax have already been rejected as unprofitable. This raises the question: Is the effort really justified if the financial relief for the city is only expected to be minimal?

Context of road expansion contributions

To understand the background, it doesn't hurt to take a look at the legal framework for road expansion contributions. These municipal taxes for road construction and road drainage measures are based on the municipal tax laws of the federal states. The contributions are currently still being collected in five federal states, despite many protests and lawsuits due to the high amounts, which are often perceived as unsustainable. The road construction contribution applies to subsequent construction work on traffic facilities and is collected from the property owners who benefit directly from the construction work.

The various municipalities regulate the distribution of costs in municipal statutes, with Norderstedt being the first example in Schleswig-Holstein to be abolished in 2018. It remains to be seen how the situation will develop here and whether citizens will mobilize courts and protests against the reintroduction of contributions. The pressure is increasing because many Norderstedt residents do not want to be affected by high financial burdens again.

For everyone who still has in mind what is currently happening in the area of ​​transport financing in Germany, it should be mentioned that many federal states are still trying to get rid of these controversial taxes as part of reforms. So the mood remains tense and the future of road expansion contributions in Norderstedt is uncertain.

For deeper insights into the topic, it is worth taking a look at the detailed information on road construction contributions or the requests from Mr. Wojtkowiak on Stadtmagazin SH.