"We have put together a balanced consolidation package across the entire range of tasks of the city administration and yet these are cost-cutting measures that will be noticeable," said Bonn's Mayor Katja Dörner on 19 December 2024 at a press conference to present the consolidation program together with the aldermen and the SGB operations manager.
"The focus of the budget is and will remain on children and the climate as well as maintaining the city's infrastructure - especially in view of the many challenges and crises," emphasized the Mayor of Bonn. "For example, new childcare places will be created in Kita and OGS, an additional 300 places per year in OGS, and successful voluntary services such as the Bonn ID card, the anonymous sickness certificate and the social ticket will be retained. But from 2027, the city will no longer be able to raise additional funds for OGS operations to make up for the lack of state funding. Together with the NRW Association of Cities and Towns, we are taking legal action against the state government, which we believe has a duty to adequately fund the new legal entitlement."
"As a team, we on the administrative board have achieved a remarkable result in such a short space of time," emphasized City Treasurer Michael Fark. In the initial situation (as of November 1), a deficit of around 140 million euros was expected for 2025, which was to increase steadily year on year to just under 250 million euros in 2029. Through task-related consolidation in all departments, updating the planning basis and adjustments to the staffing plan, 42.5 million euros can be saved in 2025, 65.4 million euros in 2026, 77.3 million euros in 2027, 119.1 million euros in 2028 and 151.4 million euros in 2029.
These measures will result in the following annual deficits: 2025: minus 96.9 million euros, 2026: minus 122 million euros, 2027: 119.9 million euros, 2028: 109.7 million euros and 2029: 105.4 million euros. "The consolidation process, which was already initiated in 2023, must be continued in a structured manner so that we can achieve the turnaround in the municipal budget that we are aiming for in the coming years," says Michael Fark.
However, as the city's tasks remain structurally underfunded, Mayor of Bonn Dörner renewed her call for adequate funding from the federal and state governments. "The municipal level is expected to solve more and more problems and take on more and more tasks, but is left out in the cold when it comes to funding. We need solid funding, for example through a higher share of sales tax, and finally a solution to old debts," said Katja Dörner.
At the beginning of October, the district government informed the city administration that it had reservations about the ability to approve the draft 2025/2026 double budget. As a result, the city administration has developed further budget consolidation measures in an extensive internal process over the past few weeks. On this basis, the political budget discussions will continue in January 2025. The aim is for the council to adopt the 2025/2026 double budget and the financial planning up to 2029 on March 20, 2025. The city administration is confident that the district government will approve the budget after reviewing it.
Department of the Mayor of Bonn
In addition to Economic Development, the Mayor of Bonn's department includes Citizen Participation, the Climate Neutral Bonn, Mobility Transition and Social Justice program offices, the Offices for Integration and Diversity, International Affairs and Global Sustainability, Participation Management, the Office for Press, Protocol and Public Relations, Equal Opportunities, the Audit Office and Municipal Facility Management.
Examples of consolidation contributions:
- Reduction in communication on the climate plan,
- Project funding will be reduced for the participatory formats in the climate plan, including in the climate districts and the planned future forums
- Higher income from city tours/guided tours
- SGB:
- Economic plan of the SGB with a future-oriented focus
- Gradual reduction of the maintenance backlog through more investment measures
- Resource-oriented implementation of building construction measures ("priority list")
- Structural realignment of the SGB: User-oriented set-up, more customer focus and clear responsibilities, optimized, streamlined processes
- Economic plan of the SGB with a future-oriented focus
General Administration, Digitization and Order Department
The city administration plans to cut around 300 jobs by 2029. The total volume of savings over the five-year period will amount to almost 67 million euros. The process of consolidating jobs will affect all areas of the city administration, and the jobs to be cut will represent a cross-section of the administration.
"As a consequence, this will also be felt by the city society. This is because the loss of staff must also be accompanied by a review of tasks, which will inevitably lead to a reduction in standards," says City Director and Head of Human Resources Wolfgang Fuchs. "As we want to remain an efficient administration for our citizens and an attractive employer for our employees in the future, the upcoming decisions will be made responsibly." In addition to a task review, further efficiency gains are to be achieved through the digitalization and automation of various processes.
In addition, additional revenue is to be generated in the General Administration, Digitization and Order department, e.g:
- from the monitoring of stationary and moving traffic
- through further lost property auctions
- by adjusting fees, e.g. for car sharing
Finance, Legal and Health Department
During the concentrated consolidation process, Department II focused primarily on reviewing the previous income reports in close cooperation with the respective departments in order to achieve the most realistic income planning possible.
At the same time, the latest findings on interest and inflation trends in the city budget as a whole were taken into account.
In addition to these centrally initiated adjustments, a moderate increase in the accommodation tax from 6 to 7.5 percent and the second home tax from 13 to 15 percent is to take place from 2026 in order to make a contribution to budget consolidation in this way too.
"By updating the planning basis and reviewing the budget estimates in detail, we have come a big step closer to achieving the most realistic budget planning possible," says City Treasurer Michael Fark.
Planning, Environment, Transport Department
"The planning for our important future projects registered in the NRW public transport requirements plan, such as the cable car and the Westbahn, is continuing unabated," emphasized city planning officer Helmut Wiesner. "Bonn has a good public transport service, but in order to be able to finance this adequately in the medium term, Bonn, like all other municipalities, is dependent on the federal and state governments providing more funding for public transport."
Consolidation contributions in the areas of transport planning, road construction, environmental protection and climate adaptation measures are, for example:
- Additional revenue from parking space management
- Public transport subsidy: Budgeting the subsidy increase for SWBV from 2028 as part of the new local transport plan
- Cycling promotion: Reduction in funding for intersection conversions, among other things
- Road construction: postponement of the 2nd construction phase for Bornheimer Straße (planned medium-term renovation of the northern section)
- Fourth Rhine bridge: Postponement of further planning/ after completion of the basic study, new budget in the 2027ff double budget if necessary
- PV funding program: gradual phasing out of the program in 2027, but continuation of the funding program for the renovation of old buildings until the end of 2028
Sports and Culture Department
"There will be no cuts to subsidies for the independent cultural scene and sports clubs," explained Dr. Birgit Schneider-Bönninger, Head of Sports and Culture. "The focus of the savings is on adjustments and restrictions to the services of municipal facilities, the identification of savings potential and increases in income. At Bonn Theater, we will embark on a strategic consolidation process to further develop the opera and drama for the future. No sports facility usage fee will be introduced in sport and there will be no cuts in sports funding."
Consolidation contributions in sport and culture are, for example
CULTURE
- Art Museum: one-off suspension of the Bonn Art Prize and the August Macke Medal in 2026
- VHS: Conversion of the program booklet to a magazine format from 2025
- Strategic consolidation of the theater from 2028
SPORT
- Reduction of event budget
- Waiver of additional standards for new artificial turf surfaces
- Management of parking spaces at swimming pools and sports facilities
- More efficient maintenance of the Rheinaue turf sports field
Schools, Social Affairs and Youth Department
"Especially in the current difficult and uncertain times, it is of great importance in the social sector to provide people with a wide range of support, guidance and advice. We have therefore tried as best we can to keep the cuts for children and young people and in the social sector as low as possible. Nevertheless, we have had to make cuts in some areas, which are painful," says Dr. Birgit Schneider-Bönninger, standing in for department head Carolin Krause.
Low-threshold services for people with disabilities, addicts and mentally ill people and in the area of protection against violence as well as for senior citizens will be largely retained (despite the loss of or insufficient reimbursements from the federal and state governments).
In addition, places are being created in child daycare facilities and day care in order to meet demand and provide a supply that meets requirements.
Despite an already high childcare quota, an additional 300 places per year are to be created in open all-day care at elementary school in order to be adequately prepared for the legal requirement for open all-day care from the 2026/2027 school year.
Funding will continue to be made available for youth work facilities, of which around 5.3 million euros will be allocated to independent facilities. The funds for violence prevention were increased by a further 50,000 euros. Other voluntary services that will be retained include the social ticket, the anonymous sickness certificate and the Bonn ID card.
- In order to ensure that OGS continues to operate with the proven scope of services, the Bonn City Council decided in March of this year to make additional funds available until the end of the 2025/2026 school year to compensate for wage cost increases in the OGS sector due to collective agreements. The municipal umbrella organizations are currently examining the prospects of success of a lawsuit against the state of NRW. One of the aims is for the state to assume the costs of the legal entitlement in full and on a permanent dynamic basis. In this respect, no additional budget funds are currently being made available for medium-term planning from the 2026/2027 school year onwards.
- "School breakfast": Expiry of the pilot project currently running with thirteen schools at the end of the school year, elementary school with a social index of 6 to 9 can generally participate in the "Brotzeit" foundation program, the city of Bonn will provide the necessary own contribution in the 2025/2026 ff. budget.
- Youth work: Funds from the children and youth development plan will continue to be made available for offers and measures that are not already financed by other budget funds. The budget has been reduced from 500,000 to 200,000 euros.
- Social area: Review of individual measures, including those commissioned from third parties, with the aim of keeping cuts for citizens as low as possible.
Municipal Facility Management Bonn
The 2025 business plan of Bonn Municipal Facility Management (SGB) lays the foundation for a future-oriented approach. "With the recently presented business plan, we are not only setting the financial course for the coming year, but also underlining the role of the Municipal Facility Management as a central player in sustainable urban development. With strategic investments, particularly in the education sector, and a clear focus on climate protection and resource conservation, the maintenance backlog will be reduced, operating costs lowered and thus a contribution made to securing long-term financial performance and achieving climate neutrality," says SGB operations manager Rachid Jaghou.
- Education: more than 400 million euros for the expansion, new construction and renovation of schools by 2028, a clear focus on creating urgently needed capacity and modern learning conditions for pupils.
- SGB reorganization: clear responsibilities, faster decision-making processes, more effective use of resources
- New list of priorities: the large number of building construction measures are systematically recorded, prioritized and checked for feasibility - based on existing and future resources
- Reduction of the maintenance backlog: crucial for maintaining the value of the buildings, reducing operating costs and implementing sustainable and energy-efficient measures
The Board of Directors sees the further consolidation proposals that have now been drawn up as a good basis for submitting an approvable budget to the district government. "It was a hard piece of work. After a long struggle, we have now produced a good and balanced proposal that sets the right priorities. Children, climate and infrastructure are at the heart of it, so the City of Bonn is well positioned for the future," said Mayor Katja Dörner.