Who should succeed Josef Nefele and be the first full-time mayor of the municipality of Egenhofen? Before their election decision, many citizens wanted to know what the two candidates Robert Köll and Martin Obermeier are up to. Answers were given at a panel discussion on the Brucker Tagblatt.
Egenhofen - When Martin Obermeier (new list Egenhofen / NLE) and Robert Köll (community association of the entire municipality of Egenhofen / BGE) took a seat on the podium in the multi-purpose hall in Aufkirchen, every chair in the audience was already occupied. "The full hall shows how important the topic is," said Tagblatt editor Helga Zagermann, who led the evening as a moderator.
The candidates had a factual discussion in a calm atmosphere. However, there was hardly any real conflict potential between Köll (57) and Obermeier (61). Both have been involved in the development of Egenhofen for many years - Köll as head of the city hall, Obermeier as a member of the town council.
new town hall
Both agree on the new town hall building. He invited all skeptics to take a look at the cramped conditions in the current building, said Köll. In the meantime, the only social and meeting room had to be converted into an office. The project, which costs around 4.5 million euros, can be financed through a combination of withdrawal of reserves and loans. Selling a larger number of properties, as discussed by Obermeier, is not necessary. The new municipal council will make the decision. Obermeier wants the new town hall "to have added value for the citizens", for example by using the boardroom for smaller events.
Citizen participation
Both applicants promised to include the opinions and wishes of citizens and associations when it came to the design of the village square in Unterschweinbach. Here, however, public participation is mandatory anyway, since the measure is to be promoted as part of village development. But otherwise both want to let the citizens have their say. "As a mayor, I would take the time to talk to citizens," Köll announced. Consultations with the "Generation 55 plus" should be added to the dialogue with a senior advisory board, as well as an exchange of ideas with volunteers every year. The BGE applicant wants to inform citizens about projects with the help of detailed reports in the newsletter and a new community homepage.
Following the Maisacher model, Obermeier wants to “go to the clubs every year” to find out about their concerns. Retreat meetings to formulate common goals are also important. "These must be events with very little talk and a lot of discussion." The NLE candidate wants to talk to the citizens concerned about specifics such as building law in Weilern or the establishment of a net market in Egenhofen.
New net?
Keyword net market: do the applicants support a settlement or not? Neither wanted to commit, but sounded rather skeptical. Obermeier cited the use of space and the limited use of shopping facilities on the outskirts of the municipality, Köll the additional traffic and the impact on the existing shops. And the sale of the property also means "no major friction" for the municipality.
Interest seems to be low among the citizens. When the moderator asked how many listeners would use the net, only a few hands rose.
Glonnau access
A topic that concerns many Egenhofen residents is access to the Glonnau recreation area. Some people still resent the fact that Köll, as head of the office, had approved the demolition of the Freigraben bridge by the water management office without informing the local council, even though he had long since admitted the mistake. "Direct access should be possible again," said Köll. But "ecological, economic and legal aspects" must be taken into account. Obermeier wants a solution to be found "throughout the year".
Local development
When it comes to local development, Obermeier wants a moderate increase in business - and the creation of more rental apartments, especially for young people, "in times when a single-family house costs between 750,000 and one million euros". Köll is striving for a reorganization of the land use plan, the expansion of the commercial areas in Unterschweinbach and Rottenfuß, and organic population growth of up to one percent per year.
Advertising for opponents
The last question from moderator Helga Zagermann was tough. She wanted to know from the two why the other would be a good mayor. The answers were as fair as the discussion went. Köll described Obermeier as "communicative person who knows how to represent the interests of the citizens and who is heard by the population". Obermeier praised Köll for his administrative knowledge and his precise nature.
Questions from the audience
Many citizens' questions followed the discussion block. "What happens to this hall?" Asked a head of the FSV Aufkirchen department. There is a renovation in the room, which Obermeier would like to discuss with users and citizens. Köll can also imagine a partial or complete new building. A citizen criticized the cost of the new town hall, while there is already an investment backlog in road and building renovations. Another missed a vision of the future for the community and feared that Egenhofen would lose connection to the greater Munich and Augsburg areas. However, both applicants reject excessive growth. The district will build the bike path from Aufkirchen to Nannhofen, which many are waiting for, said Obermeier. The prerequisite is that the community can acquire the necessary reason. Both applicants want to build additional cycle paths in the community.
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