The constructive opposition struggles to be heard
Budget policy: The watering can policy pursued by the council of Aldermen since taking office, to the detriment of the future generation – debts must be repaid one day – has been slowed down thanks to the call of the DP municipal councillors to the Covid year 2021, with a refocusing on the essentials and what is financially feasible. The essentials, of course, included supporting local associations and businesses during this difficult period. Unfortunately, the council of Aldermen has already forgotten the word “priorities” for the 2022 budget… We are impatiently awaiting further developments – including interest rates!
Examples of potential missed savings
- The ‘Kleederstuff’: Instead of buying new business premises, renting a vacant shop in the pedestrian zone would have been a more advatageous alternative for the DP Maacher.
- House No. 3, market square: The three DP municipal councillors supported the purchase for use as office space, but not the subsequent estimate of 843,000 euros for the transformation – an unacceptable expense to the actual hour.
- The giant slide at the outdoor swimming pool: Although certainly fun, it does not attract additional customers to the outdoor pool and is therefore simply too expensive.
Personnel policy
A reorganisation of the various departments is necessary, and the only way to work more efficiently for the benefit of the citizens.
Hiring a municipal financial advisor was simply unnecessary: the guidelines are set by the college of Aldermen, and appropriate advice is provided by the finance committee (and not an ‘expert’ hired by the college of Aldermen). Financial advisors are also available to the municipality at each bank.
The Projects
It is a proven fact, that a number of constructions and construction projects of the college of Aldermen did not come from its own pool of ideas, but were already initiated by the former DP/LSAP college of aldermen.
- the competition of ideas for the design of the market square
- the stepped square leading towards the Moselle promenade (rue Victor Prost)
- the wine bar with restaurant (the current Bistro Quai)
- an underground car park in the ‘rue des Remparts/rue de l’Hôpital’
- the relocation of the sports hall to the periphery ‘op Flohr’.
- the transformation of the previous sports and cultural centre into a purely cultural center.
All these projects were and still are critically and constructively supported by the DP Maacher. The construction of the new cultural center shows in particular that this is absolutely necessary: Initially, the council of mayors only wanted to reconstruct the building after a partial demolition and completely renounce the construction of new parking possibilities. An impossibility! Only after extensive discussions, in which DP Maacher drew attention to shortcomings and missed opportunities, the planning was amended accordingly and then adopted by a majority of the municipal council.
Municipal finances since 2012 – very precisely!
At that time
The total amount of loans on January 1st 2012 was 10,687,586 €. With this money, the then DP/LSAP coalition mainly renovated the municipal school infrastructure and built the new town hall.
Salaries paid in 2011 amounted to 4,806,810 €.
Comments from the then opposition leader Léon Gloden on this subject:
- “een ugestrengt finanziell Charge”
- ” een Hauhaltskonsolidéierung as néideg ” (fiscal consolidation will be needed)
- ” keng Plaz fir expansiv Personalpolitik “. (no room for an expansive personnel policy)
Today
After eleven years under CSV/Déi Gréng leadership, the situation is as follows:
If all projects listed in the 2022 budget are realised, the total amount of loans contracted by the municipality since 2013 will amount to €43,200,000 – according to the calculation of the council of Aldermen.
According to the budget, the salaries paid in 2022 will amount to 8,546,376 €.
Comments from Mayor Léon Gloden on this subject:
- “stabil Finanzen” (“stable finances”)
- „d’Finanzpolitik vum Schëfferot huet hir Friichten gedroen“ “The financial policy of the Schëfferot has been successful here”.
Conclusion
The policy of CSV/Déi Gréng is as simple as that: in the space of a decade, quadruple the financial debt. At the same time, double the salaries paid by the municipality and boast of a stable financial policy!