SPD advises on Ingolstadt's financial crisis: save the future through investments!

SPD advises on Ingolstadt's financial crisis: save the future through investments!

On May 16, 2025, a two-day closed meeting of the SPD city council group took place in Ingolstadt, where the focus was on the city's tense financial situation and forward-looking investments. During this meeting, there was intensive discussion about the challenges of the city's budget, in particular the declining trade tax revenues, which limit the city's financial flexibility.

The group members emphasized the need to invest in infrastructure and public services in order to ensure the quality of life of citizens. Discussions with Matthias Bolle, Managing Director of Stadtwerke Ingolstadt, and Thomas Hehl, Managing Director of the leisure facilities, provided important insights into the importance of these investments. The energy transition was highlighted as one of the obvious challenges that requires significant investments in networks and infrastructure. The leisure facilities, especially the Saturn Arena and the Ingolstadt baths, play a central role in the city's social life.

Financial challenges and investment needs

The finance officer Franz Fleckinger and the head of the treasurer's office, Stefanie Wendl, took part on the second day of the conference and discussed the ongoing budget consolidations, construction investments and municipal tax structures. The SPD parliamentary group emphasizes the urgency of future-proof financial planning in order to counteract financial bottlenecks. In this context, the high need for investment in daycare centers, schools, roads and local public transport became clear. The need to find a replacement for the ballroom, which is indispensable for city events, was also discussed.

Another important point was the request to Jörg Schlagbauer, Audi's works council chairman, to hold discussions about using larger event rooms at Audi in order to meet the demand for such rooms.

Energy transition and economic framework conditions

Parallel to the discussions in Ingolstadt, the BDEW is pushing for further development of the energy transition by 2025. According to a current report, the traffic light coalition has already pushed forward a significant increase in renewable energies, which is reflected in the figures for 2024. Over a million new photovoltaic systems were connected to the grid, a fourfold increase compared to 2021, and the commissioning of wind turbines exceeded the 2021 level by 28 percent.

In 2024, renewable energies reached a share of 58 percent of gross electricity generation, which represents an increase compared to the previous year. However, this also has an impact on electricity prices, which remain at a high level despite falling average values. In order to curb electricity costs, the BDEW is calling for a reduction in electricity tax and subsidies for transmission network fees.

The need for a consistent regulatory framework that supports the sustainable development of energy production is becoming increasingly clear. The need for flexible power plants to compensate for fluctuations in wind and solar energy is considered time-critical. Accordingly, private investments on a large scale are necessary to achieve the goals of the energy transition.

Overall, both the closed meeting of the SPD city council group and the associated topics as well as the developments in the area of ​​the energy transition show how important precise financial planning and consistent implementation of the energy transition are for the future of the city and its citizens.

For more detailed information on the closed meeting of the SPD city council group, you can find a detailed report at Danube Courier. Further developments regarding the energy transition are explained BDEW.