Where Does Kolding’s Tax Money Go

The uncomfortable question - and Why So Little Seems to Work

Every few weeks, someone in Kolding says it out loud - sometimes in frustration, sometimes in disbelief:

"We pay so much in tax. Where does it all go? Why does nothing seem to work properly?"

It's not an empty complaint. It's the sound of a community that cares - people who want their city to function but no longer see their contributions reflected in the services they use every day.

For years, the official answer to every question - whether about elder care, public buses, or school budgets - has been, "There is no money."

But there is money. In fact, there is a lot of it. The problem isn't how much we have, but how little of it actually reaches the people it is meant to serve.

A billion-kroner city that feels like it's standing still

Kolding Kommune is not short of money. It's short of results.

In 2025, the city will spend DKK 7.047 billion - over seven thousand million kroner. Of that, DKK 4.960 billion is earmarked for service expenditures - the money meant to fund our schools, elder care, childcare, and the essential services that shape daily life.

Source: Kolding Kommune – Facts & Budget

A year earlier, in 2024, the figure was DKK 4.636 billion.

Source: Service Budget 2024 (PDF)

That means Kolding spends roughly 13 million kroner every single day on local services - on paper, a level of funding that should give us a city that works.

But walk through Kolding, and you'll see a different story. Potholes patched but never fixed. Teachers leaving halfway through the year because there aren't enough hands or hours. Care staff rushing through their visits, apologising for not having time to talk. Buses that stop running before the night-shift ends. Families paying high taxes but still paying privately for help the system can no longer provide.

The numbers promise one thing. Reality delivers another.

If Kolding can spend billions and still leave people feeling abandoned, then the question isn't how much we spend - it's what we get in return.

The math doesn't match the experience - and until it does, trust will keep slipping away, one taxpayer at a time.

Where the money actually goes

These are not just numbers - they're choices. And each choice has consequences that ripple through daily life.

The inefficiency trap

a) Too much management, too little impact Somewhere along the way, our system became more about managing itself than serving people. Almost one in every six kroner of Kolding's service budget disappears into administration - into offices, consultants, internal committees, and layers of approval that seem to grow every year. Meanwhile, the people who actually deliver the service - teachers, nurses, care workers - are stretched thinner than ever.

b) Money stuck in buildings instead of people Every year, Kolding spends around 270 million kroner just to keep its municipal buildings running - heating, cleaning, maintenance, insurance. Yet the municipality's own notes suggest a savings potential of only 3–5 million. That can't be right. With smarter energy use, consolidation of space, and modern building management, we could save far more - and move those funds from bricks and walls to people and welfare.

c) Big projects, slow benefits In 2024, Kolding invested 345 million kroner in capital projects - 65 million more than planned. Large projects are important, but they also tie up resources for years before citizens feel the benefit. While we invest in tomorrow, we must not forget the needs of today - the elderly who need help now, the classrooms that need repairs this year, not next decade.

So where is the money hiding?

Together, that's 100–130 million kroner every single year - enough to fund visible, citizen-level improvements without touching the tax rate.

What better priorities could look like

Elder care – dignity before deadlines Elder care should never be a race against the clock. With the money we already have, even a small reallocation - just two percent of what we spend on administration or property maintenance - could fund dozens of new care workers or simply allow existing staff to spend more time with each person they visit. That's not just an expense; it's an investment in dignity.

Education – investing where it counts Our schools don't need more reports; they need resources where they make the most difference. Early language support, smaller class sizes, and stronger inclusion for international and bilingual children help everyone succeed. Every krone we spend early prevents problems later - fewer dropouts, stronger communities, and a better future for Kolding's children.

Transport & mobility – connecting people Mobility is freedom. A reliable, accessible bus system connects students, shift workers, seniors - all the people who keep this city running. With better planning and efficient use of funds, we can make public transport something people want to use, not something they settle for.

Parking & local business – making the city breathe again Free short-term parking might sound simple, but it brings life back into the city centre. Families can stop for errands, shops get more customers, cafés fill up again. Long-stay parking can stay paid, and that revenue can support greener mobility options. It's a fair balance that helps both business and the environment.

Transparency and trust – the missing link

The biggest problem in Kolding isn't only about money - it's about trust. Many citizens no longer believe their tax kroner turn into real results because the system hides behind complex documents and technical language.

We need to open that black box.

A simple, public "tax krone dashboard" could show, in plain numbers, where every krone goes - by school, by elder-care district, by policy area.

When people can see how their money is used, they start believing in their municipality again. Transparency builds ownership, and ownership builds accountability.

The change we need

Kolding doesn't need another consultant report on "efficiency." It needs real action and courage to move funds from paper to people.

• From reports to results.
• From buildings to services.
• From offices to classrooms.
• From rules to relationships.

My commitment

If I earn your trust to sit in the municipal council, I will work by one simple principle: Every budget line must lead to a visible outcome.

You have the right to see how your money is used.

That's why I will push for:

• Public access to spending data.
• Annual reviews of administrative costs.
• Clear, measurable goals for elder care, education, and mobility.
• A long-term plan for sustainable public services - without raising taxes.

Transparency is not about blame. It's about respect for the people who pay and the people who serve.

The bottom line

Kolding doesn't lack money. It lacks direction and suffers from poor prioritisation.

We are a city that spends more than 7 billion kroner a year and still tells people

"there's no money."

But there is - hidden in overhead, lost in maintenance, trapped in process. What we need now is courage. The courage to redirect our resources to where they actually matter.

When every krone counts, every citizen counts. Let's make Kolding work again - not just on paper, but in everyday life.