Expensive bicycle garage in Weimar: waste of taxes or necessary?

Expensive bicycle garage in Weimar: waste of taxes or necessary?

The city of Weimar recently built a double -storey bicycle garage with 16 parking spaces to provide more public bicycle parking spaces in the city center. This building was associated with costs of 260,000 euros, of which the majority of the adjoining the adjacent courtyard with natural stone paving and an electric charging station were eliminated.

In the current black book of the federal taxpayer (BDST), the city is now mentioned as an example of a waste of tax money. In this annually published report, the BDST reveals over 100 cases in which, in his view, tax money was not used sensibly. The aim is to draw the public and politicians aware of grievances and to counteract the waste of tax funds.

The Federation of Taxpayers, a lobbying organization that has been dealing with tax issues since 1949, particularly criticizes the additional expenses for outdoor facilities and greenery that occur in addition to the bicycle garage. According to the BDST calculations, the city could have created almost 100 new parking spaces with the budget for the garage if it had dispensed with unnecessary expenses. In the sense of an economic approach, reference is made to the need to reconcile the costs of the bicycle garage with the saving of tax money.

City representative Claudia Kolb defended the costs and the decision for the project violently. She made it clear that the renovation of the town hall, which also includes the new bicycle garage, requires that public areas are also designed in an appealing manner. The investments are necessary to upgrade the public spaces and improve the microclimate.

The city government emphasized that the expenditure was also cushioned by funding and that the responsible authorities have not expressed any concerns about the purposes. Kolb described the mention in the tax black book as a misunderstanding and appealed for more precise research by the BDST in order to make the effort for the citizens transparent.

Overall, the project, consisting of the bicycle garage and the design measures in the courtyard, has far exceeded the framework of the original garage price. The Federation of Taxpayers sees this a clear example of the need for a stricter control of public expenses.