Bicycle garage in Weimar: meaningful investment or tax loss?

Bicycle garage in Weimar: meaningful investment or tax loss?

In Weimar, the construction of a bicycle garage ensures high waves. The Federation of Taxpayers (BDST) sharply criticized the expenses for the new garage. With a total of 260,000 euros, the performance is more than meaningful; According to the BDSt, he was a prime example of tax waste. But the city administration sees it very differently and vehemently defends the investment.

The head of the building department Claudia Kolb stated that the bicycle garage was not alone, but should be regarded as a conclusion to the extensive repair of the outdoor facilities of the historical town hall. In this overall measure, the bicycle garage was only part, since the majority of the costs had flowed into the renovation and redesign of the open spaces. She think that the garage buildings are exaggerated compared to the 16 parking spaces and an electric charging station.

criticism from the Federation of Taxpayers

On Wednesday, the city was strongly targeted by Wolfgang Oehring, board member of the BDSt Thuringia. "It was not stated, but rather spent generously," said Oehring. He doubts the proportionality of the expenses and accuses the city of not responding to the interests of taxpayers. However, the city argues that the construction of the garage was necessary to meet the lack of parking facilities for bicycles that were repeatedly discussed in the city.

The city administration found that in the past there were often untidy storage facilities in which bicycles were deposited in unsuitable places such as trash cans or street signs. This problem should be remedied by the new garage.

The contribution to the outside area

An essential point of dispute in the discussion is the majority of the financial expenditure, which was not spent on the bicycle garage, but for the design of the outdoor area of the town hall. While the actual garage only cost around 45,000 euros, the remaining 215,000 euros were reduced to the renovation and redesign of the environment. Mayor Peter Kleine (independent) defends the expenses and sees the redesign as an integral part of the comprehensive renovation project for the town hall.

"After the town hall renovation, it was only logical to redesign the outdoor area," explains Kleine and assures that the available budget was invested in a sensible and responsible manner. The vision behind the new system is to create an element of climate neutrality and an atmosphere of well -being.

The new bicycle garage officially started operating in Windischenstrasse in March of this year. There, the cyclists now find enough space for their vehicles under a covered area, and the path to the city is also more comfortable.

The argument between the city and the federal government shows how sensitive the topic of public expenditure is treated. Socially, it is important to make the added value of such investments clear, especially at a time when the public funds are under pressure.