Cologne citizens demand transparency: Where do the taxpayers flow?

Cologne citizens demand transparency: Where do the taxpayers flow?

In Cologne, the voices of dissatisfaction are increasing, especially as far as the increasing fees for everyday services are concerned. Citizens not only criticize higher costs for daycare centers, but also express their concerns about the reliability of Cologne's traffic companies. In view of the urban savings measures, including the deletion of grants for clubs, the city administration is increasingly questioned. The focus is on the administration, which is criticized for its high expenses, while auditors reveal problems in paying guards in urban museums. In addition, it is pointed out to inadequate procurement procedures in the planning of renovation work on city stages that affect orders worth around 145 million euros.

These grievances must be viewed in a context in which the total project amount for the renovation of the stages is estimated at around 1.5 billion euros. Citizens express concern about the costs and the lack of trust in those responsible could have serious effects on future large -scale construction projects. The Cologne city administration employs over 24,000 employees, and while errors are inevitable, a more efficient handling of tax money is required. ksta.de reports that ...

increased fees burden the citizens

The fees that Cologne residents have to pay for certain services are continuously increasing. These fees are specific cash benefits for official actions or the use of public institutions and include wastewater fees, street cleaning fees and waste fees. The due date of these fees takes place quarterly, Mitter dates on February 15, May 15, August 15 and November 15. On Sundays or public holidays, the payment date will be postponed to the next working day, with the exception of the Rose Monday.

The wastewater fees show an increase: the fees for rainwater increased from 1.27 euros per square meter from 2021 to 2023 to EUR 1.32 in 2025. The fees for dirty water also increase from 1.54 euros to 1.63 euros per cubic meter during this period. Road cleaning fees and waste fees have also been raised, which leads to an additional financial burden on the citizens.

The city of Cologne offers an overview of the fee rates and their increasing development on its website. This situation leaves many Cologne-based people according to stadt-koeln.de that ... annoyed and unsettled.

challenges of municipal administration

The structure and financing of local tasks poses considerable challenges with cities like Cologne. The framework conditions have changed in recent years, which brings new requirements for the city administration. Historically grown structures are often insufficiently adaptable to the changed conditions in the city regions.

The complexity of the tasks and the interdependencies within and between city regions require a systematic interaction between the communities. The development of sustainable solutions in relation to the control and financing of municipal services is therefore urgently required. Reform options in financial equalization are conceivable that could help reduce financial imbalances. kdz.eu informs that ...

Overall, Cologne faces the challenge of not only ensuring the satisfaction of its citizens, but also pursuing a transparent and responsible financial policy that has long -term effects on the quality of life in the city.