Münster, 21 November 2024 – The town hall coalition of the Greens, SPD and Volt, supported for the first time by the FDP, has presented its fifth budget for the city of Münster. Despite a tight financial situation, the coalition is setting clear priorities: the focus is on measures to make the city administration more efficient and to promote a forward-looking culture of innovation.
In addition, the budget places particular emphasis on supporting families, social security and modern climate protection. “Our goal is to shape Münster sustainably – as a city that promotes innovation, takes social responsibility and leads the way ecologically,” sums up Helene Goldbeck, spokesperson for the Volt council group.
Key achievements of the new budget
1. Future-proofing and innovation
- Münster is becoming an **Open Innovation City**. This creates a platform that connects academia, business, the administration and civil society to jointly develop innovative solutions to the challenges of the future. In doing so, we are taking our cue from best practice in Bielefeld.
- A **Welcome Desk** is being set up for international skilled workers. It offers support with arrival, orientation and integration – an important step in positioning Münster as an attractive location in international competition.
2. Efficiency in the administration
- Ten requested new posts in the city administration have been cut.
- A cap on posts ensures that new posts can only be created through savings or restructuring within the administration.
3. A focus on family-friendliness
- Savings proposals that would have placed a burden on parents of children at nurseries have been dropped entirely. Instead, additional funds are being made available to improve childcare provision in nurseries and to provide targeted relief for parents.
4. Strong social security
- Cuts to the Münster-Pass, to employment opportunities for the long-term unemployed and to school social work have been prevented.
5. Stepping up climate protection
- An additional €5 million a year is being made available for the climate-friendly renovation of municipal buildings.
- A further €2 million will go towards the climate-friendly repair of municipal buildings to reduce CO₂ emissions.
6. Affordable public transport for all
- The popular Münster-Abo is being retained: for just one euro a day, residents can use public transport in the city.
- The Deutschland-Ticket Schule will continue to be offered in order to ease the financial burden on children and young people.
Financial improvements and setting the course for the future
With this budget policy, the coalition reaffirms its course of safeguarding the quality of life of Münster's residents in the long term while setting forward-looking priorities. By revising the administration's draft, the coalition, together with the FDP, was able to improve the budget by €3.7 million over four years.
“This budget shows that we are thinking of the people of today and the generations of tomorrow,” explains Dr Martin Grewer, councillor of the Volt council group. “We thank our coalition partners and the FDP for their close and constructive cooperation.”
