Criticism of the draft

City budget deficit with many question marks

The budget for 2025 already includes ten million euros for the construction of the S-Link.(Bild: Tröster Andreas)

Much is still uncertain when it comes to income and expenditure. For example, what will happen with the S-Link. ÖVP and Neos criticize the draft budget.

As reported by the "Krone" newspaper, the City of Salzburg is expecting a budget shortfall of 75 million euros for 2025. However, there are still some question marks in the 873 million euro draft before the budget senate. The biggest, for example, concerns the development of general tax revenues next year. The city is directly dependent on this.

But there are also still some question marks regarding expenditure. For example, ten million euros have already been budgeted for the construction of the S-Link. However, if the referendum on November 10 turns out to be negative, these will not be needed at all. For Neos municipal councillor Lukas Rupsch, the deficit is too high either way. "I really hope that money is not spent at the expense of the younger generation. Because the city is still in a good position," he says, referring to the planned new debt of 19 million euros. The remaining deficit is to be financed from reserves.

This year's deficit will be smaller than expected
The ÖVP is also not really happy with the budget. "The negotiating basis for the budget senate looks bitter," says club leader Delfa Kosic. "It is important that the city prioritizes important projects." There is no room for further projects. "'Make a wish' is not an option," says Kosic.

There is also news about the current budget for 2024. The development is better than forecast. A deficit of 98 million euros was planned. At the beginning of October, it was 48 million euros, so the trend is significantly better. Mayor and Head of Finance Bernhard Auinger (SPÖ) nevertheless says: "There will certainly not be a surplus this year." Rupsch criticizes the fluctuations between the budget and the actual financial statements. "It would be good if at some point there were figures that actually hold up," says the Neos representative.