Suche
Mein Konto
Vienna in austerity: Districts have to save 17 million euros!
On November 11th, 2025, austerity measures and postage expenditure by districts such as Mariahilf will be announced in Vienna.
Vienna in austerity: Districts have to save 17 million euros!
There is nervousness in the air because the city of Vienna is facing necessary austerity measures. On Thursday there will be an official update on the austerity measures, which affect not only the city administration, but also the districts. For the next two years, the districts' budgets will remain unchanged, which will result in a total saving of more than 17 million euros. These measures are part of an effort to consolidate city finances, which certainly doesn't please all districts.
There are negative reactions, especially in the districts that are not led by the SPÖ. Districts such as Hietzing, Döbling and the Innere Stadt, which are led by the ÖVP, as well as Währing, Josefstadt and Neubau under Green leadership, are affected. In particular, the discussion about whether the districts will cover postage costs in the future is causing a stir. In 2024, the districts raised more than 1.3 million euros for Porto, although the final figures for 2025 are not yet known.
Different postage expenses
A look at postage expenses reveals shocking differences between the districts. Mariahilf spent an impressive 143,000 euros in 2024, while Favoriten got by with just 3,000 euros. These differences cannot even be explained by the size of the districts, because Josefstadt, as the smallest district, spends at least 54,000 euros. The high amount in Mariahilf results from two large participation processes that caused additional costs. Projects such as the planning of Gumpendorfer Straße or the climate team district should be mentioned here.
The deputy district leader Julia Lessacher from the SPÖ emphasizes the importance of transparency and barrier-free information. In Favoriten, due to the 150th anniversary, alternative communication channels were found, which led to a decrease in postage expenses. While 55,000 euros were due in the previous year, in 2024 the postage costs could be reduced to just 3,000 euros. A truly good hand that has paid off!
Financing structure of the districts
The district budget is an important size within the municipal budget. It is managed independently for tasks and accounts for around 2.6 percent of the entire financial budget of the municipality of Vienna. The finance committee of the district council and the magistrate work together to create the draft estimate before it has to be approved by the district council by the end of the year. Various mechanisms for the upper and lower distribution of budget resources are used.
The overall distribution is based on the employer tax and the local tax and is made up of several pots, including 14.10 percent of the local tax revenue and 26.36 percent of the employer tax. Unspent budget funds can also be used as reserves for the coming financial years.
The city's austerity measures as well as the distribution of budgets and postage expenses show once again how important financial planning is in Vienna's districts. The upcoming announcements on Thursday could provide decisive impetus here. So an exciting time lies ahead!
Further information about the background to these measures is provided courier and the City of Vienna also has valuable details about the financial structures wien.gv.at provided.