Bad Arolsen in turmoil: online petition against property tax explosion!

Bad Arolsen in turmoil: online petition against property tax explosion!

Bad Arolsen, Deutschland - In Bad Arolsen, a recently decided property tax increase causes excitement among the citizens. Jan-Hendrik Rohrbach, a 30-year-old management consultant and member of the CDU board, has launched an online petition. The occasion: The city parliament increased the property tax rates by 190 percentage points retrospectively from January 1, 2025. For example, the rate for property tax A increases from 360 to 550 percent, while the property tax B has been increased from 340 to 530 percent, as [wlz-online.de] (https://www.wlz-online.de/waldeck/bad-arolsen/nline-petition- against-arolser-wunderhung-93842800.html).

This drastic increase should compensate for financial bottlenecks for other taxes and the increasing additional expenses, especially through the circular levy. But the citizens are alarmed. So far, around 600 people have supported the petition and many have expressed their concerns in comments. A frequently criticized point is the lack of discussion and transparent savings strategies on the part of the city members.

an open ear for the concerns of the citizens

Rohrbach sees a lack of willingness to talk in current politics and has inspired concrete suggestions for cutting costs. This includes, among other things, the waiver of the second lawn in Mengeringhausen and the renaturation of the Thiele-Aue. He also urges local authority to check the economy in Bad Arolsen and to check alternatives to the tax increase. Questions about the need for planned major projects, such as a new sports center, are also in the room.

The decision for the tax increases did not come without warning. Critics complain that the city parliament first made the decision to increase before a citizens' information event was convened. This makes many citizens feel calm about their financial options in advance. The retrospective application of the new lifting rates also ensures planning uncertainty, since both households and companies in Bad Arolsen are now facing unexpected challenges.

public reaction and further steps

Rohrbach published its petition, which started on July 12th and runs until August 16, on the Open Petition portal. It not only serves as a platform for signatures, but also as a tool in order to address city councilors directly and to forward the collected signatures to the local supervision. As a member of the CDU, he brings his expertise as an economist to enliven the discussion about financial policy and to ensure that all economically justifiable alternatives are checked before further tax increases.

In these troubled times, when the cost of living is increasing anyway, many Bad Arols are concerned about additional financial burdens from the new taxes. The city is currently investing in voluntary projects, the necessity of which has not been sufficiently evaluated and whose financing has to be carried out partly through loans or the urban budget. A clear call to the city administration of making the housekeeping more transparent comes from the population.