Austria's municipalities in the downward trend: Wels-Land remains!

Wels-Land fällt im Ranking der wohlhabendsten Gemeinden Österreichs, während Salzburg und Niederösterreich dominieren.
Welsland falls in the ranking of the wealthiest communities in Austria, while Salzburg and Lower Austria dominate. (Symbolbild/ANAGAT)

Austria's municipalities in the downward trend: Wels-Land remains!

Wels-Land, Österreich - The focus is on the financial situation of the communities, and the latest rankings show significant changes. The magazine parishionazin.at has published the current ranking of the 250 wealthiest communities in Austria, and the results are anything but gratifying for the Wels-Land region. At MeinDzeitkirk it can be read that Welsland is poorly performing for the second time and only four locations are represented in the list.

The three best communities are Elixhausen in Salzburg, Hernstein and Parbasdorf in Lower Austria. Salzburg is a clear winner with 29 out of 119 municipalities in the hit list, while Upper Austria drops significantly with only 26 out of 438. These findings show that the financial stability is decisively influenced by factors such as tax revenue, earnings shares and the development of the infrastructure.

Upper Austria in deficit

is based on the mayor of Sattledt, Gerhard Huber (ÖVP), many municipalities have to struggle with the high costs and will soon be overwhelmed. Sattledt took 22nd place in the ranking, but invested in the infrastructure and resolved reserves. In contrast, the situation in other communities in the region is less rosy. EDT at Lambach has invested significantly in the new kindergarten building and improved by 112 places to 126. Steinhaus has been able to celebrate, is 132 (+98 places), while Eberstalzell shows a downward trend with 184 (-73 places), which was somewhat alleviated by increased local tax revenue.

The ranking is based on the accounting data of the municipalities from 2021 to 2023, in which the challenges of the health crisis were also taken into account. The creditworthiness of the communities is seen as crucial for their future development, where a sustainable income situation is becoming increasingly important. Finance expert Karoline Mitterer points out that municipalities in Salzburg have higher profit shares from the financial equalization, which contributes to stability. The Kurier also reports that the credit rating depends on economic power, demographic development and transfer policy.

The challenges of the future

The current situation is characterized by rigorous financial restrictions and many communities are under pressure. Over 75 percent of the municipalities have already postponed investments, which not only affects the local economy, but could also endanger the quality of life of the residents. Forecasts show that every second municipality could come to the departure in the next few years, while up to 90 percent, especially in Carinthia, could be affected. The city association is already calling for a reform of the financial equalization systems and a fair distribution of the funds to make the municipalities more resilient In view of these challenges,

it becomes clear how important it is to strengthen the creditworthiness of the communities. The municipal bonality ranking 2024, which is created in cooperation with the KDZ, should certainly be understood as a wake-up call. Mayor like Michael Prantner from Elixhausen emphasize the need for a solid budgeting to meet the current requirements. These developments could have far -reaching consequences for local politics and the economic future of the communities.

The gap between income and expenses is greater every year and to have to master the challenges - that is the motto for the coming years. After all, the municipalities are the cornerstones of our society, especially in uncertain times. A good hand when allocating the funds will be vital.

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OrtWels-Land, Österreich
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