Taxpayers' Association exposes costly public projects and questionable spending
The Bund der Steuerzahler released its 2026/27 Black Book, highlighting dozens of examples where government funds were spent inefficiently on projects such as tree planting, temporary toilets, and costly infrastructure.
The Bund der Steuerzahler’s 2026/27 Black Book documents more than one hundred instances where public money was allegedly misused, focusing on smaller-scale projects that nevertheless involve large expenditures. It cites a tree-planting scheme in Neu-Anspach that required extensive soil work, a portable toilet installation in Hadamar intended for only a handful of event days, and a heavily engineered cycling-path segment in Böblingen with a steep gradient.
Additional cases include an over-budget wooden bridge in Mannheim, a prolonged city-square redesign in Einbeck, and a high-cost nature-reserve purchase in Sachsen-Anhalt funded entirely by the federal environment ministry. The association suggests that when projects are largely financed by higher-level subsidies, local authorities may lack motivation to scrutinize every euro spent.
Why it matters
It highlights how public funds can be tied up in projects with limited benefit, prompting scrutiny of spending practices.
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