City Day in Eisenstadt: Resolution Against "New Burdens"

The City Day in Eisenstadt calls for a reform of the property tax, with the rates to be increased in the short term. Tax relief should only occur if they are counter-financed, for example, with the planned reduction of the real estate transfer tax. The vertical distribution key in the financial equalization should be reviewed. Michael Ludwig, President of the Association of Cities, emphasized that the tasks of the municipalities have grown more than those of the federal government and this should be reflected in the financial equalization. Until it expires, 300 million euros should flow annually to cities and municipalities.

Association of Cities welcomes administrative and structural reforms at City Day in Eisenstadt

Additionally, the Association of Cities advocated for administrative and structural reforms and welcomed the federal government's goal to reduce the complexity of administrative procedures. However, the issue of financing leisure educators and school assistants remains unresolved. The costs for the former should be borne by the federal government, according to the demand. Addressing the issue only in the financial equalization from 2028 is "unacceptable." In terms of digitization and efficiency, the Association of Cities wants a rapid implementation of a cross-territorial data infrastructure and access for the municipal level to registers. For the digital sovereignty of cities and municipalities, it is important to reduce dependence on non-European IT corporations.

Tyrolean Association of Cities with demands before City Day

The federal ministers are called upon to focus more on municipal services such as water, waste management, or public transport within the framework of European legislation. Extensive administrative requirements in the areas of data protection, state aid, or procurement should be critically examined. Ahead of the City Day, the Tyrolean Association of Cities advanced with three demands that should be formulated by the federal organization to the federal government. Two of them - the rapid assumption of costs for leisure educators in the school sector and the financial allocation to municipalities in subsequent years - have been adopted, said Tyrol's top city representative, Innsbruck's Mayor Johannes Anzengruber (JA - Now Innsbruck) to the APA with satisfaction. "Now the ball is in the federal government's court and I hope for constructive discussions," said Anzengruber. Regarding the demand that a representative of the western federal states should also be involved in the financial equalization negotiations, there has been no final decision yet.

(APA/Red)

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