Local services
The 2025 budget is a budget for security, development, and prosperity for Debrecen. As in previous years, it is entirely in line with the Debrecen2030 urban development strategy adopted by the city assembly and the government in 2020.
After the challenges of the past years, 2025 will be a year of stability and sustainable growth. The budget reflects the city’s commitment to economic development, environmental protection, the development of educational institutions, and the improvement of the quality of life. The planned investments and developments shape the future not only of Debrecen but of the entire region. Mayor László Papp will present the budget for security, development, and prosperity to the Debrecen general assembly on February 27.
The 2025 budget pays special attention to transport, infrastructure, institutional, and economic development. In addition, it provides significant amounts for green space developments, residential programmes, cultural developments, and healthcare, thus ensuring the well-being and safety of the city’s citizens.
Key figures of the 2025 budget:
- Balance sheet total: HUF 289.9 billion,
- Local tax revenues: HUF 45.1 billion,
- Operating budget expenditure total: HUF 92.9 billion,
- City operating expenditure: HUF 7.25 billion,
- Green space expenditure: HUF 5.3 billion,
- District developments: HUF 13.1 billion,
- Investment total: HUF 147.8 billion.
Debrecen does not anticipate loans in 2025. The general reserve is HUF 100 million, and the city will place HUF 147.5 million in the special reserve.
Thanks to recent successful economic development, the local business tax will be higher than ever, at HUF 39 billion.
The average wage increase for nursery school staff is 19.1 percent, including 21.2 percent for teachers.
Wage growth for cultural and social institutions, the Mayor’s Office, the Debrecen Institution Management Centre and the Debrecen Public Space Inspectorate, is 7.4 percent on average.
This year’s budget aims to return as much as possible of Debrecen’s steadily increasing economic revenues to the citizens. A family of four in Debrecen can save up to HUF 2.5 million a year through free travel for children aged 6-14, the “Move, Debrecen!” initiative, and the Főnix Housing Programme.
Expenditures financed from tax revenues in 2025:
- DKV loss compensation and free travel for children aged 6-14 – HUF 6.5 billion,
- Solidarity tax – HUF 10.4 billion,
- Public meals – HUF 1.6 billion,
- Teacher salary increase and salary supplement – HUF 1.2 billion,
- Environmental Control System financing – HUF 400 million,
- Green space and city management maintenance fund – HUF 6.3 billion.
We will continue the successful programmes launched in 2024, such as:
- Prefabricated Housing Programme – HUF 500 million,
- Built Heritage Protection Programme – HUF 200 million,
- Főnix Housing Programme – HUF 200 million,
- Institutional expenditures (cultural, social institutions, kindergartens and nurseries) total – HUF 7.3 billion.
The institutions can calculate a total budget of HUF 30,36 billion:
- Social and child welfare institutions: HUF 8.15 billion,
- Kindergartens (without meals): HUF 9 billion,
- Cultural institutions: HUF 5.93 billion,
- Sports expenses: HUF 1.7 billion.
- Other non-profit limited liability companies: HUF 5.58 billion.
The budget’s keywords also identify the main strategic directions along which the proposal was put together:
- transport and urban water utility development,
- environmental protection and sustainability,
- care policy, and support for young people and families.
The foundations of Debrecen’s future are safety, development and prosperity.
Safety
Debrecen serves the safety of its residents by operating the Environmental Monitoring System, establishing the traffic management department of the City Management Center, installing a surveillance, traffic counter, and traffic monitoring camera system, implementing a controllable LED public lighting programme, retaining rainwater on-site (Ecopark planning), and developing water utilities. The city is spending a total of HUF 60.8 billion on these.
Development
Development is guaranteed by the development of the transport system, institutions and the economy, with a budget of HUF 81.3 billion.
Transport development
The city will spend HUF 28.4 billion on transport development in 2025.
The following investments are being implemented from the municipality’s own resources and state support:
- Construction of the Majorsági collector road (completion of Mandolás Street)
- Renovation of Vértesi Street
- Completion of the first phase of the refurbishment of Határ Street
- Renovation of Sárga Dölő on schedule
- Large-area asphalting
- Residential road construction
- Sidewalk and stair renovation program
- Installation of speedometers
In the spirit of transportation development, our city is starting the preparation of the following investments, and in addition to the developments already under planning, is beginning new planning processes:
- Development of the infrastructure of the eastern part of the city
- Eastern transport corridor
- Conversion of Kishegyesi Road into 2×2 lanes, with a separate level junction
- Development of a separate level junction on Vértesi Street
The following state investments are being implemented:
- Development of the junction of Main Road 33 – Szabó Lőrinc Street – Csigekert Street
- Connecting Main Road 33 and Main Road 354, with a separate level junction on Main Road 354
- Expanding the Main Road 471 to 2×2 lanes between sections 1+000 – 2+850 km
- Development of the Szoboszlói Road – Külsővásártér junction
- Development of the Main Road 48 – Budai Nagy Antal Street – Hétvezér Street junction
The following state investments will be prepared:
- Eastern Bypass
- Debrecen-Józsa northern relief road (between the M35 motorway and Main Road 35)
- Upgrading of the section of Main Road 35 between Debrecen-Józsa and Main Road 354 to 2×2 lanes
- 2×2 lane expansion of Main Road 4 between Hajdúszoboszló and Debrecen
- 4-lane expansion of the section between Debrecen and Nyíregyháza of Main Road 4
- Preparation of the development of Kassai Road
- Development of the bridge over the railway and the related road network on Vágóhíd Street
- Capacity expansion of the Homokkert overpass and related road network
- Development of the Füredi Road – Böszörményi Road junction
- Preparation of the development of the Nyíl Road section of Main Road 33
- Development of Main Road 481
- 4-lane expansion of Main Road 47 (between kilometre sections 5+280 – 7+630)
- Development of the junction in kilometre section 4+440 of Main Road 47
Institutional developments
In 2025, kindergartens, nurseries, medical clinics, and nursing homes will be renovated from city funds and TOP+ funds, as well as the energy development of the Debrecen Thermal Bath and the renovation of the Kismacsi Community Centre, as well as the modernisation of the Csapókerti Elementary School. We will spend HUF 14.9 billion on institutional developments.
Water utility development
In 2025, Debrecen will build, among other things, a technological wastewater treatment plant, develop an existing wastewater treatment plant, plan to develop the infrastructure of the eastern part of the city and establish a greywater system within the framework of a comprehensive water utility development. It will also create the wastewater network of the manorial area and the drinking water supply of the southern part of the city, launch the planning of the development of the Water Tower and water treatment plants, and plan the separation of the rainwater and wastewater drainage network. HUF 59 billion is available for water utility development.
Economic Development
The development of the city’s industrial areas, the Northwestern Economic Zone and the Southern Economic Zone, continues. The planning and construction of the utility infrastructure, power grid development and road network related to the industrial zone are taking place. Protective afforestation and plant planting continue in the Southern and Northwestern Economic Zones. The city is spending HUF 38 billion on economic development.
Welfare
Wealth and green area developments are being implemented within the framework of the Caring Debrecen programme. The environmental renewal of the city centre and Tócóvölgy continues, as well as the development of the courtyards of educational institutions and kindergartens. A running track is being built in the Debrecen-Józsa settlement. In addition to all this, playground development works and the welfare investments of the Civaqua program continue. The city is allocating HUF 6.56 billion for welfare measures.
Thanks to the Debrecen Institute for Primary Care and Health Development, the health screening programme and the “Move, Debrecen!” initiative will continue, which has mobilised more than 130 thousand people so far.
Cultural developments
Within the framework of cultural developments, the planning of the pop music cultural centre, the renovation of MODEM, the development of the B24 Gallery, and the renovation of the villa on Medgyessy Promenade will be launched with a sum of HUF 573 million.
Investments planned within the framework of the Regional and Settlement Development Operative Program Plus (TOP+)
Transportation:
- Development of a bicycle path to the Debrecen University Industrial Park
- Construction of a bicycle path on Móricz Zsigmond Road
- Traffic organisation in the western district of Debrecen, Phase II
- Road development of Lahner Road
- Road development of Létai Road
- Renovation of Kishegyesi RoadPhase 2, and the creation of a new junction for the accessibility of the new entrance to the Határ RoadIndustrial Park
- Cycling connection of Lake Vekeri and Main Road 47
- Creation of the Kismacs-Látókép bicycle path connection
- Eastern Transport Corridor Phase I
Institutional:
- Energy modernisation of the Margit Square Kindergarten building
- Energy modernisation of the Simonyi Road Kindergarten building
- Energy development of Ifjúság Road kindergarten
- Energy development of Tócóskerti kindergarten
- Energy development of DMJV EBI Angyalföld kindergarten
- Energy development of Manófalva kindergarten
- Energy development of Debrecen Thermal Bath
- Development of Varga Street Kindergarten and Levendula Kindergarten
- Development of Áchim András Nursery
- Development of Áchim András Kindergarten
- Development of Görgey Street Kindergarten
- Complex renovation of Thaly Kálmán Street Kindergarten
- Development of Angyalkert Kindergarten
- Százszorszép Kindergarten gym construction
- Complex renovation of Szoboszlói Street Kindergarten
- Complex renovation of Kemény Zsigmond Street Kindergarten
- Renovation of Kismacsi Community Centre
- Kincseshegy Street medical clinic development
- Development of the Csapó Street site of Municipal Social Services
- Development of the Pósa Street site of Municipal Social Services
- Renovation of the medical clinic under 54 Monostorpályi Street
- Complex Renovation of the medical clinic at 34 Pandúr Street
- Renovation of the medical clinic at 1 Angyalföld Square
- Renovation of the medical clinic at 6 Alsójózsai Street
- Renovation of the Halápi medical clinic (19 Harkály Street)
- Medical clinic on Földi János Street
- Csapókerti Elementary School
Well-being and green areas:
- Environmental Renewal of Tócóvölgy Phase II
- Civaqua welfare developments
- Environmental renewal of the city centre Phase II
Cultural:
- Villa renovation on Medgyessy promenade
Following the Mayor’s presentation, the deputy mayors will present the budget draft in more detail for their areas in the coming days.
Source and photo credit: debrecen.hu
