With 108,000 euros, the Kornspitz athletics hall built in 2017 for 2.7 million euros in Linz’s Wieningerstraße was “overfunded”, according to the State Audit Office (the OÖN reported). A letter with a corresponding demand from the state landed on Günther Weidlinger’s desk this week. “We will repay the amount immediately,” said the President of the State Athletics Association (OÖLV).
It goes without saying that a six-figure sum for a national association of this size is anything but trivial. Hubert Lang explained how this can be done quickly. The Natternbacher is not only Weidlinger’s predecessor as OÖLV President, but also runs the athletics event and management GmbH, which belongs to the OÖLV and took care of the construction and operation of the hall.
“The money not used up”
According to him, the “overfunding” came about because of a different interpretation of the sponsorship contract with the namesake Backaldrin (Kornspitz). This states that the sponsorship money is for the construction of the hall. This was broadened by the OÖLV officials, which is why the money also flowed into the company. The Court of Auditors limited itself to the actual meaning of the word, which is why the funding amount should have been lower by that amount.
“The money from back then has not been used up in full,” said Lang, who did not want to name the exact remaining amount. According to him, the difference to the 108,000 euros should even go out with the overdraft limit of the GmbH account. There is no need to worry about the financial future of the OÖLV. “Our athletes won’t notice anything, it will go on as normal,” said Weidlinger.
Little insulated, heated with gas
The credit on the GmbH account may even have been necessary for the operating costs. As the Court of Auditors documents, the hall was originally designed and submitted only as “frost-free”, which justified the thin outer membrane, which was cheap to erect. Soon, however, an indoor temperature of 15 degrees and, after a complaint in winter 2020/21, even 18 degrees were desired, which was reflected in the gas heating costs. Lang estimates this to be between October 2020 and September 2021 at around 35,000 euros.
Those responsible are now looking with concern at the galloping gas price, which has more than doubled in the past twelve months. Lang is still relaxed about the upcoming billing if the costs are still within limits thanks to a lower capacity utilization due to the pandemic and a favorable contract negotiated with the gas supplier Linz AG (price increase of only ten percent). “But our gas contract is only valid for one year. If the price then doubles, we’ll have to come up with something,” said Lang. He’s not worried about that.
In view of the moral image that the Court of Auditors paints of Upper Austria’s sports funding, it would not be surprising if part of the funding that has now been repaid flows back to the OÖLV as a different subsidy.
Source: Nachrichten
