Finanzchaos in Löhnberg: Where is the missing image film?

in Löhnberg, a municipality in the Limburg-Weilburg district, there are massive challenges in financial equalization and in the administration. The town hall director Heiko Stock found that a paid image film, which was commissioned as part of a decision by the municipal board in 2022, was not completed. The cost of this film was around 11,600 euros, while the total amount for two films was around 20,000 euros. The filmmaker Dominik Kilian, who was present for the shooting over 25 times in Löhnberg, presented the community a raw cut and a finished scene at the end of 2023. However, a final completion of the film was no longer realized due to the existing financial problems of the municipality. As a result, the municipality was also able to save itself the outstanding 8,000 euros for the second part of the film, such as Tagesschau.de reported.

The inadequacies in the financial and administrative structure of the community are not new. According to a test report, the hessenschau.de The tested annual financial statements sent to the Gießen regional council. The report reveals a partial insolvency of the municipality, which requires a liquidity loan of four million euros, the repayment of which is due by the end of 2027. In order to cope with the financial challenges, savings have already been decided, including the deletion of association funding and the increase in fees.

Financial for transparency and scandals

In the test report, serious concerns about the financial management of the municipality are expressed. For years there have been wrong numbers in the municipal reporting system. The test report for 2017 shows a deficit of 36.5 million euros, while incomplete annual financial statements from 2019 dismissed a surplus of over 900,000 euros - however, the complete degree showed a deficit of around 40,000 euros. The municipal council was often not informed or only incomplete about financial decisions, and there were several unauthorized additional expenses.

In addition, the Hessian Court of Auditors criticized households from 2013 to 2017 as unstable and in need of consolidation. A current examination of the annual financial statements for 2018 has already been well advanced, and the test dates begin at the end of January 2025. Local lawy Maximilian Roth sees possible criminal investigations due to the abuses described. These developments throw a sobering light on the administration in Löhnberg and its ability to run the financial business transparently.