This year’s debt ranking presents two indicators, namely:
- debt at the end of 2014 expressed as a percentage of total budget revenues—the indicator refers to the limits resulting from the Public Finance Act in its previous wording
- the average amount of the operating surplus in 2012–2014, expressed as a percentage of total budget revenues.
The ranking’s authors emphasize, among other things:
In our calculations, we take the entirety of debt into account, whereas the law allows for various exclusions—primarily those related to the co-financing of projects supported by European Union funds. However, we believe that the economic nature of debt is the same regardless of its purpose.
The radical reduction in debt at the end of 2014 announced by Bolesławiec mayor Piotr Roman meant that Bolesławiec took a good 133rd place among powiat cities. The city’s debt amounts to 33.72 percent of budget revenues.
Among powiat cities with the highest creditworthiness in 2015, Bolesławiec ranked 31st. In this ranking, a higher position means greater creditworthiness of the local government. In Bolesławiec, the average share of the operating surplus in total revenues in 2012–2014 was 13.86 percent.
Bolesławiec’s stable financial situation does not mean taking out new loans. “In 2015, we do not plan to take out loans for Bolesławiec,” mayor Piotr Roman informs.
It is also worth adding that no changes in the rates of local taxes and fees collected by the municipality are planned for 2016. They will remain at the 2015 level because they are lower than the rates set by the Minister of Finance for the following year. The exemptions from property tax on residential buildings or parts thereof, residential premises and remaining land introduced on January 1, 2015, will continue to apply. No reduction is planned for next year in the tax and fee rates set for 2015.
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