Hayden Council and the parties discussed the situation after the budget was rejected. Astrid Zeisset At the end of November, Heidler’s audience sent in a 2022 estimate. And it’s clear: Nearly 75 percent put “no” in the jar. Now the local council has to make a new estimate. This should be voted on on April 3, 2022.

Therefore, it met last week at a round table with the parties to discuss the reasons for the refusal. According to Mayor Gallus Pfister, this can be summed up in two points: on the one hand, the planned new construction of the triple gymnasium Gerbe, and on the other hand, the growing debt. Pfister affirms:

“None of them had anything to do with the budget, but the voters made the connection anyway.”

Various modifications of the new estimate are now being validated. In discussions with the parties, discontinuation of the tri-gym has also been suggested.

Tax increases are not on the table

An investment of 15.2 million Swiss francs is planned in 2024. When will it be implemented in reality is open. As Pfister explains, the new gym is “the biggest financial part” in the coming years. But even if that is postponed, neither tax increases nor austerity efforts will be on the table. Mayor says:

“We are still on the path of austerity.”

Because if the tri-gym is not to be reconstructed, the existing one will at least have to be renovated. The scope of the new estimate design is limited. Many new modifications are not possible. This is why the Municipal Council relies on improved communication in order to make the first grade metrics more understandable. It was noted, in particular, that the reasons for the sale of real estate from financial assets are not understood. “Here we underestimated the extent to which the population was affected,” Pfister said. In the course of the upcoming vote, further clarifications should follow.