Berne Bern municipal council does not want income-based fees
Bern's municipal council does not want to make the level of municipal fees dependent on income. The social effect would be minimal, it writes in its report published on Monday on a postulate from the GB/JA parliamentary group.
08.07.2024, 10:20
SDA
The City Council referred the proposal in July 2023. The fees for naturalization, waste disposal, demonstrations or dog ownership, for example, are high for people on low incomes, according to the debate. Some municipal services are therefore not used for financial reasons.
From a legal point of view, it would be possible to reduce the fees for people on low or medium incomes, the municipal council stated in its report. On the other hand, it would only be possible to increase fees for high earners in rare cases.
The city would therefore have to make do with lower revenues. The municipal council would like to avoid this in view of the tight city budget.
In any case, the social effect of an income-based fee system would be limited, writes the municipal council. There are several reasons for this.
This is because many municipal fees and charges are low. Some are "rarely paid by people living in poverty" because they are aimed at homeowners, for example.
Special case of burial
The fees for funerals are relatively high, the municipal council continues. However, there is a right to a free funeral if the funeral costs cannot be paid from the estate.
According to the municipal council, income-related fees for naturalization would be a real relief for those affected by poverty. However, the city council only recently revised the fee regulations in this area.
According to the municipal council, an income-based dog tax would probably not be legally permissible. This is because it is not a fee, but a so-called cost burden tax.
The explanatory report is submitted to the city council. It can decide whether it is satisfied with the city government's answer or whether the municipal council needs to go over the books again.
