2016 annual financial statements confirmed by city council
At its meeting today, the City Council adopted the 2016 annual financial statements with a positive overall result totalling 76.9 million euros. The budget bylaws for 2016 were adopted by the City Council on 2 March 2016 and included a negative result of 11.8 million euros.
Cash-effective improvements resulted, for example, from additional income from property tax B of 1.0 million euros, the municipal share of income tax of 1.4 million euros and key investment allocations of 2.1 million euros, as well as from reduced expenses for municipal staff of 6.4 million euros, property maintenance of 8.5 million euros and social benefits of 23.3 million euros. The high reduction in expenses for social services was caused in particular by the lower number of asylum seekers in 2016 compared to 2015.
There were also various non-cash improvements, partly due to the positive economic development of municipal subsidiaries.
The level of debt was essentially kept stable in 2016.
"I am delighted that we closed 2016 with a clear plus. This gives us room to manoeuvre for the construction of new daycare centres and schools and other investments in the city's infrastructure, which will be urgently needed in the coming years," says City Treasurer Sven Schulze.