Erfurt (dpa/th) - Thuringia's municipalities will receive around 150 million euros more from the state coffers in the coming year. This was announced by Interior Minister Georg Maier (SPD) on Tuesday after the cabinet meeting in Erfurt. The state will involve cities, municipalities and districts in its forecast additional tax revenue with around 115 million euros. In addition, the payments for certain social expenditures such as youth welfare, which according to reports were previously too low, would be increased by around 35 million euros.
According to the tax estimate, the municipalities could also expect their own additional income of around 100 million euros. "The situation of the municipalities will improve significantly. After all, they will have around a quarter billion more available next year," said the interior minister. "This makes it clear that the country lives the principle of partnership."
The level of state payments to the municipalities and the reform of the underlying financial equalization are an ongoing issue in the dispute between the red-red-green minority coalition and the opposition in Thuringia. The CDU parliamentary group in particular had raised higher demands for state payments.
