Odder mayor says newcomers make tax rise necessary

Residents of Odder Municipality face higher taxes next year, according to DR. The municipality has received approval from the Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Interior to raise municipal tax revenue by up to nearly 37 million kroner.

Mayor Lone Jacobi of the Social Democrats has proposed increasing the municipal tax rate by half a percentage point from its current 25.1 per cent.

She said continued population growth, driven in part by people moving to Odder, made the increase necessary to provide the welfare services the municipality would need in the coming years.

“The population will continue to grow in the coming years, and if we are to ensure the welfare institutions this requires, it is absolutely necessary that we adjust our tax,” Jacobi said.

Municipalities across Denmark are expected to keep taxes stable. If they do not, the state can collectively offset the increase against their block grants.

For that reason, Odder has been reluctant to request a tax rise, but Jacobi said it was necessary this year.