Cemetery fees at the church in Gütersloh are being increased

The Evangelical Church Community of Gütersloh has announced an increase in fees for its three cemeteries, effective from September. The new regulations will cover the use of choice graves, urn choice graves, chapels, and woodland burial plots on the Johannes Cemetery.

The cost for the use of choice graves and urn choice graves will increase from €675 to €717.50. The fee for using chapels on Evangelical cemeteries will rise from €270 to €290. The new regulations will also result in an annual increase of €3 per grave for maintenance-free community graves.

The new fees will cover all costs, including depreciation, and are attributed to higher costs for fuels, personnel, tools, materials, and machinery. Additionally, the increase is more significant due to a decrease in earth burials and higher maintenance costs incurred due to dry summers.

The Evangelical Church Community of Gütersloh emphasizes that the financing of the cemeteries is exclusively through fee income. Cross-subsidization through tax funds is not permitted by church law, and the cemeteries receive no church tax funds.

Inquiries about the new regulations can be made to the cemetery administration via email or phone. The new regulations will be published in the "Announcements" section of daily newspapers and on the internet.

It is worth noting that the new regulations do not specify a change in the fee for urn choice graves and choice graves. Fee-based contracts that have been registered but not yet invoiced will be charged with the fee valid at the time of registration.

The new fee regulation for the cemeteries under the care of the Evangelical Church Community of Gütersloh will include the woodland burial plots on the Johannes Cemetery. The new fees will be charged for a period of 25 years.

The Evangelical Church Community of Gütersloh did not disclose the name of the person who explained the fee increase for the three cemeteries within the city areas. However, they reiterated their commitment to maintaining the highest standards of service and care in their cemeteries.