Bayreuth City Council meets: Budget 2026 is on the agenda!

Bayreuth City Council meets: Budget 2026 is on the agenda!

Exciting times in Bayreuth! On Wednesday, December 3rd, the City Council's Main and Finance Committee will meet for an important meeting. From 4 p.m. in the large meeting room of the New Town Hall, the public is invited to this important event, where budget discussions for the coming year 2026 will be on the agenda. The consultations should not be underestimated, as they will set the fundamental course for the future development of the city. Topics such as the examination of the budget proposals from the parliamentary groups and city council members are discussed, as are the city's subsidies for social institutions, integration and, of course, culture.

Particular attention is paid to the various areas in which grants are available, including youth, health, sport and economic development. This shows how diverse the concerns of the city of Bayreuth are. The list of priorities for construction work at schools and kindergartens will also be discussed. The assumption of default guarantees in favor of the hospital association will also be a topic of the meeting, which underlines the importance of health care in the region. On the other hand, the upcoming anniversary program “150 Years of the Bayreuth Festival” is also being discussed, which will certainly represent a cultural highlight next year. As [bayreuth.de](https://www.bayreuth.de/ committee-beraet-finanzfragen/) reports, all interested citizens are cordially invited to find out more.

Investments and challenges in the budget

A look back at the current budget shows that the city of Bayreuth has already decided on significant investments totaling 116 million euros for 2025. These funds are used primarily for the commercial vocational school, the Friedrichsforum and the expansion of the sewage treatment plant. Criticism of the budget came primarily from various political groups who pointed to increasing spending in the social sector and personnel. However, Mayor Thomas Ebersberger was able to conclude the meeting with only one vote against, which underlines the broad support, even if opinions on the spending differ. Representing the opposition, SPD city councilor Thomas Bauske called for more courage from the city leadership to shape things, while the Greens and the Bayreuth community pushed for savings options, e.g. B. at the roundabout on the Berliner Ring.

The development of the debt burden is also a focus of the audience. At the beginning of the year, the city's debts amounted to 43 million euros, and the forecast for the end of the year is three times as high, 121 million euros. Despite such challenges, there remains a ray of hope: compared to other cities in the region, the property tax in Bayreuth is lower in two out of three cases than in the previous year. The city is also planning to invest in construction work, for example 600,000 euros for new classrooms at the Graf Münster High School and the comprehensive renovation of the Richard Wagner High School with an estimated total cost of 69 million euros.

Strategic planning and outlook

According to the website kgst.de, the municipal budget is the key point between strategic and operational control. The city council's priority on resource- and output-based budgeting could be crucial to overcoming the financial challenges. Targeted planning, encompassing both policy and technical aspects, will prove essential to not only keep spending in check but also future-proof the city.

The agenda for the meeting on December 3rd includes many directional decisions that will shape not only the financial but also the social development of the city. All citizens are called upon to find out about the likely concerns and to actively contribute to the democratic design of their city. The complete minutes of the meeting can be viewed in the city of Bayreuth's citizen information portal.