Over 75,000 euros

Ex-employee collects hefty climate subsidy

The VP and FP are currently questioning the Climate Council and its decisions.

(Bild: Einöder Horst)

Even though the city's coffers are in dire straits, climate protection projects in Linz continue to be heavily subsidized. The red and green parties are following the recommendations of the city's climate council, which has now also approved the funding for an ex-municipal employee. This is causing a stir and incomprehension, particularly due to the amount.

"The municipal climate fund is a bottomless pit," said VP party leader Michaela Sommer in an interview with the Krone newspaper in August 2023, expressing her anger at the fact that the city senate had allocated almost 50,000 euros from the climate fund for a new "climate corner" in the Wissensturm and occasional scythe mowing meetings.

50,000 euros, which seems even less when you hear what was decided by the city senate votes of red and green on Thursday morning.

Applications for almost 400,000 euros approved
Five applications: Volkshilfe and the University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria will each receive 104,000 euros in funding, while the Upper Austrian Climate Alliance association will receive almost 80,000 euros. Acker Österreich GmbH can look forward to 29,200 euros.

However, the application from an ex-employee of City Councillor for Finance Tina Blöchl (SP) seems particularly bizarre. The applicant will receive a maximum of 75,930 (!) euros in funding for "round table discussions" - the first of these took place in October and has had a rather modest 320 hits online - and a podcast.

FP and VP are appalled
Climate City Councillor Eva Schobesberger: "If we set up a climate council to examine such applications, then we should also follow the recommendations." FP city councillor Michael Raml has no sympathy for this: "While many Linzers hardly know how to pay their energy costs, climate actionism is receiving princely support."

Which also raises questions: Does the applicant have to pay tax on the funding? Why did the City Councillor for Finance not declare herself biased and instead approve the subsidy? Regarding the latter, Blöchl says: "I had no contact with the applicant either before or after her employment in 2022." For VP city deputy Martin Hajart, this is nevertheless a "mess": "The city of Linz is not a self-service store for the SPÖ."