Piotr Roman gave examples from the budgets of other local governments. He said that, generally, the budgetary situation of local governments is poor, that there is a shortage of money and that it is necessary to balance the budget. This is all the more difficult given the growing burden on local governments. The mayor stressed that the poor financial condition of local governments is the result of the government’s policy.
– The state treats local governments as an additional source for reducing the budget deficit – the mayor said during his speech. – We will tighten our belts. 2020 will be a difficult year for investment. We will look for savings, but we will not make drastic decisions. We will not withdraw funding for sport, and we will make only minimal cuts to spending on culture. We will not give up free public transport. We have planned PLN 1 million for the construction of a kindergarten for the left-bank part of Bolesławiec, and we will retain this provision in the budget – the mayor declared.
The mayor does, however, declare that there will be less funding for private educational institutions. Private schools, kindergartens and nurseries may therefore become more expensive. According to the mayor, the increases are justified by four factors:
- a contribution toward the educational subsidy: PLN 4 million
- an increase in the minimum wage (local governments are the largest employer in Poland): approximately PLN 1 million
- an increase in electricity prices (including street lighting): approximately PLN 1 million
- other services (including cleaning): approximately PLN 2 million