After 100 days in office, Gammelsdorf's new mayor Raimunda Menzel draws a first interim balance in a big FT interview.
Gammelsdorf - Raimunda Menzel likes to laugh, a lot and incredibly heartily. She has now been the mayor of Gammelsdorf for 100 days and still laughs at least as much as on the first day. Your balance is very positive.
Freisinger Tagblatt: Ms. Menzel, you have been mayor for 100 days. Is the feeling still as nice as on the first day?
Raimunda Menzel: Yes, absolutely. I'm enthusiastic about it, every day is different and the task is extremely exciting. It gives me a lot of joy.
Other new mayors had to find out in the first 100 days that the mayor is responsible for everything ...
Yes, that's how I see my job. But it is clear that I cannot always please everyone. The common good is important to me.
Does that mean that the citizens' meetings are mostly positive?
Of course there are other conversations too. That's part of it. However, it is my way of being kind to people.
In the Gammelsdorf municipal council you break up the previous men. Does your friendly manner help the mayor?
The friendly way belongs to me - nothing is fake. I am so. There were also female councilors. I was there 24 years ago, and there was no problem with the men then - and neither is there today. We are a really great team and we work well together. I am excited about that.
For some topics, you just need feminine impulses. Does it help you that the new local council with women is more broadly based?
Yes, it fits well. Feminine intuition is good for the committee.
Were you partially surprised by your duties as mayor?
Yes indeed. The legal situation surprised me a bit. I come from administration and know the processes. But sometimes you want to decide something with common sense, and wham, you get shot in by the law again. These legal requirements surprised me and sometimes it sucks. But we have to and do that.
That shouldn't be easy for an emotional person like you.
Nothing happens fast-fast. Our employees at VG Mauern are always there for me, but with other authorities it is sometimes difficult. That's why I make a plan once a week, mostly on Mondays, of what needs to be done and where I need to look again.
Have you been able to do a lot in the first 100 days? Are you satisfied with your balance sheet?
I'm very satisfied. Our new development area is making good progress, the kindergarten construction is going perfectly. My contact with the citizens is good, the citizens' office hours are well attended.
The allocation of the building plots in the new development area should be completed by the end of the year.
© Bauer
Do you notice Corona in the prepared new development area, or is the construction boom unbroken?
We are a little behind with our work, but the allocation of the building plots will probably be completed by the end of the year. Citizens are still interested. I get a lot of inquiries and have to put people off until autumn. But we won't fill the building area up in one fell swoop.
How much should the smallest community in the Freising district grow?
That should be moderate. I don't want to have 2000 residents. From our 1500 inhabitants I would like to grow to 1600 or 1700, but 1800 is then a maximum.
What do you expect from the moderate growth?
( laughs loudly ) A bit of mixing. We want to remain a young community and create new potential for the clubs. It's also my turn to create a small industrial park. We just want to grow in a tranquil setting.
Is an industrial park feasible far from highways and cities?
Well, it's not that far either. In Furth, the autobahn is twelve kilometers away, and it's only 15 kilometers to Moosburg. There is already interest in a business park. Something could happen in the next three to four years.
What are your further goals for the next local election in five and a half years?
According to the mayor, the work on the new kindergarten in Gammelsdorf is “perfect”.
© Bauer
Well, there would also be the tiresome bike path from Gammelsdorf to Reichersdorf. Here I would like to bring the talks about the required land to an end in two to three years at the latest. Now I wanted to get into the business first. I have to deal very intensively with the bike path. It is also important to me to maintain and renovate our swimming pool in the center of the village. After the corona-related closure this year, we will reopen in 2021. We want to raise funds for the modernization. And maybe we're going to do another building area, but we really want to grow slowly. I intend to work with the community council to develop a philosophy of where we want our community to go.
After you keep laughing a lot in a year in which there isn't so much to laugh about: is a small community getting through the corona crisis better?
We are well positioned and will master our tasks. I still laugh because I'm a positive person. I just see the glass half full and not half empty. That's how I am and that's how I will stay.