Pilsen expects to spend CZK 10.4 billion next year, budget will be pro-investment

Plzeň is counting on revenues of CZK 8.2 billion and expenditures of CZK 10.4 billion next year. The deficit of CZK 2.2 billion will be covered from its funds. The city is planning to raise revenues by almost seven percent compared to this year's budget, while expenditures are expected to rise by more than 11 percent. The budget is strongly pro-investment and focused on a number of major projects, Mayor Roman Zarzycký (ANO) announced yesterday after the city council approved it. The city will spend over CZK 3.4 billion on construction investments, a quarter more than this year's plan.

"In the area of capital construction alone, we have a total of CZK 8.5 billion prepared for 2024 and in the outlook for 2025 to 2027," the mayor said. Among the most important projects in the pipeline are the reconstruction of the Koterovská tram line, the construction of the Světovar parking house, the eastern grandstand of the athletics stadium in Skvrňany, the hall for ball sports in Borské Polí, the brewhouse for the municipal institute of social services, as well as the reconstruction of the buildings of DEPO2015, the cultural house Peklo, Klatovská 19 and others.

"Today's times are very difficult, not only for citizens, but also for cities and municipalities. The role of public budgets in times of crisis is to stabilize the market, and we have taken the path of a highly pro-investment budget," said the mayor. Other projects and demands that did not fit into the proposal, he said, should be covered by the city from the budget surplus, the so-called bear butchering is due in the spring.

The largest part of the revenue, over CZK 6.6 billion, is to be made up of collections from foreign taxes. Of the expenditures, in addition to the capital ones, almost CZK 1.8 billion is to go for the current running of the city and the municipal police, another CZK 1.43 billion for the management of the city's property, roughly the same amount will be given to theatres, the zoo, the library, primary schools and others, and CZK 1.38 billion to the Pilsen municipal transport companies.

Among the most important projects in the pipeline will be the construction of a ball sports hall in Borské Polí for CZK 450 million, the construction of a central catering service and a day care centre for the Municipal Institute of Social Services for CZK 271 million, the start of the reconstruction of DEPO2015 for CZK 251 million, and the start of the construction of a sewerage and water supply system in Malesice, for which CZK 350 million is blocked in the budget. Plzeň also wants to renovate the ballroom of the Peklo Worker's House for half a billion CZK, repair the Koterovská tram line for 350 million CZK, build the Litice waterworks complex for 224 million CZK, build the Světovar parking house for 399 million CZK, add the 13th primary school for 103 million CZK, build the eastern stand of the athletics stadium for 190 million CZK and reconstruct the Klatovská 19 building for 160 million CZK.

Source: Pilsen City and CTK