After saying no to the budget, the Heiden city council and the parties discussed the situation. Astrid Zysett, Heidler voters sent a 2022 estimate in late November. And it’s clear: About 75 percent didn’t put in the urn. Now the local council has to work on the new estimate. Voting on this should be held on April 3, 2022.

So last week, he met in a round table meeting with the parties to discuss the reasons for the rejection. According to Mayor Gallus Pfister, these can be summarized in two points: on the one hand, it was the planned new construction of the triple gymnasium Gerbe, and on the other, mounting debt. Pfister emphasizes:

“Neither had anything to do with the budget, but voters made the link anyway.”

Various adjustments are now being examined for the new estimate. A moratorium on the Triple Gym was also proposed in discussion with the parties.

Tax hike is not off the table

A CHF 15.2 million investment was planned for 2024. When exactly this will be implemented is open. As Pfister explains, the new gymnasium is the “biggest financial part” of years to come. But if it is stopped, neither tax hikes nor austerity efforts will be off the table. Mayor says:

“We remain on the austerity course.”

Because if the triple gymnasium was not rebuilt, the existing hall would at least have to be rebuilt. The scope for designing a new estimate is limited. Many new adjustments are not possible. This is why city councils are relying on better communication to make first estimate measures more understandable. It was observed that, in particular, the reasons for selling off the assets from the financial assets were not understood. “Here we had underestimated the extent to which the population was affected,” Pfister said. During the next vote, more clarification should follow.