Harburg district: financial worries and hopes for 2024!

Harburg district: financial worries and hopes for 2024!

Christmas time is traditionally a time of reflection, but a darkest financial situation is presented for the district of Harburg, which District Administrator Rainer Rempe impressively addressed in his latest video message. On the occasion of the upcoming holidays, Rempe appeals to the citizens of looking into the new year with optimism, while at the same time pointing out significant challenges. "We are faced with huge financial problems," he said worried. Despite the adverse circumstances, various projects have managed to advance, including an agreement on the financing of the daycare centers, which still has to be decided by the local municipalities, such as Landkreis-harburg.de reported.

Rempe addressed the district's dramatic financial challenges. Instead of an assumed deficit of eight million euros, the minus is expected to amount to EUR 33.6 million by the end of the year. An even higher deficit of at least 50.5 million euros will be predicted for the coming year. The main cause of this imbalance are the inadequate financial resources of the state of Lower Saxony to cover the costs for the accommodation of refugees. The district of Harburg has to raise over 13 million euros this year alone, which only reinforces the financial difficulties of the district, according to the Kreiszeitung-Wochenblatt .

District Administrator Rempe emphasized that solutions would have to be found quickly without increasing the flat rate for refugee accommodation. At the same time, the financing of the local hospitals significantly burdens the budget. Rempe calls on the federal government to adopt a prevention law to secure the ongoing hospital costs, while the district has already imposed a new hiring stop in view of the displaced financial situation to check further expenses.