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Bad air in the municipal council: Tough struggle for information

2021-12-30T06:03:57.472Z


Bad air in the municipal council: Tough struggle for information Created: 12/30/2021, 7:00 AM From: Andreas Seiler Controversial point: the information policy of the market town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen at closed meetings, here is an archive photo. © Very There is rumbling among Garmisch-Partenkirchen's municipal councils. The reason: the town hall's restrictive information policy. The Greens


Bad air in the municipal council: Tough struggle for information

Created: 12/30/2021, 7:00 AM

From: Andreas Seiler

Controversial point: the information policy of the market town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen at closed meetings, here is an archive photo.

© Very

There is rumbling among Garmisch-Partenkirchen's municipal councils.

The reason: the town hall's restrictive information policy.

The Greens, SPD and FDP feel hindered in their work when they recently no longer received any documents in the run-up to closed meetings.

This could make operations more strenuous and lengthy.

Garmisch-Partenkirchen - The time between the years is actually calm and relaxing.

But in Garmisch-Partenkirchen's local politics, at least in the opposition camp, intense discussions are being held these days - and strategies are being hatched on how to deal with the noticeably restricted flow of information from the town hall.

The outrage about this is great - as is the concern about sensible work in the committees.

Cost explosion for building yard work clothes

As a reminder: In order to close an alleged leak that brought explosive and confidential content such as the cost explosion for a rental and cleaning service for workwear in the building yard, Mayor Elisabeth Koch (CSU) reacted with a profound cut. Lately, the municipal councils only receive table templates for the closed meetings - and no longer, as was usual up to now, the documents in advance. This has far-reaching consequences: because the elected officials can only prepare to a limited extent - and may have to make serious decisions, such as the award of contracts, on an ad hoc basis. According to reports, this course was already practiced at the most recent meeting of the finance committee - to the displeasure of some local politicians. There is complaint behind closed doors,that it should now be even easier for the power-conscious town hall chief to rule through.

From a legal point of view, there is obviously nothing wrong with the restrictive approach. This is at the discretion of the respective mayor, explains the Bayerische Gemeindetag when asked by the daily newspaper. Garmisch-Partenkirchen is not an isolated case in this regard. However, the elected representatives would have to talk about how they want to deal with it. For example, calls could be made to interrupt a meeting that takes place behind closed doors to read an extensive table template, for more detailed research or for internal parliamentary advice - or to postpone a point entirely.

The SPD parliamentary group plays through these variants.

Spokeswoman Ulrike Bittner-Wolff is convinced: The new handle will lead to delays.

Because the members of the municipal council and the committees need enough time to deal with the issues.

What had previously been done at home must now be done in the meetings.

The Social Democrat believes that reducing the size of the information channels is the wrong approach.

“That blocks our work,” she says annoyed.

And the whole thing is also not suitable to prevent piercing.

Because confidentiality could also be passed on to the press by telephone.

In their opinion, Koch is more concerned with “disciplining the entire municipal council”.

Greens are calling for more transparency

With her action, the mayor has made no friends with the Greens either. "The transparency of administrative decisions looks different," say parliamentary group leader Dr. Stephan Thiel and Dr. Rainer Steinbrecher in a statement. In any case, with the table templates, “a more in-depth familiarization with the topic is not possible”. The two representatives of the eco-party therefore want to question non-public agendas “even more critically” in the future. The population, they emphasize, is sovereign and must be maximally involved.

FDP local councilor Martin Sielmann also does not agree with the restrictions. He will turn to the petitions committee of the Bavarian state parliament and ask the lawyers of the FDP regional association to examine the case, explains the Free Democrat in the Tagblatt conversation. The town hall chief exceeded limits for his sense of justice. “This is a disaster and not in the interest of the community.” And how is he dealing with the situation? Sielmann: "I'll try to move the agenda items into the public part - or if necessary, vote no."

The fact that Garmisch-Partenkirchen's town hall administration only issues table templates for closed meetings in order to protect confidential information not only arouses criticism in local politics, but also meets with understanding - for example in the CSU. Local councilor Markus Baur, who is also the chairman of the audit committee, defends the course in a letter to the editor - and stands protectively in front of his party friend and mayor Elisabeth Koch.

CSU councilor Markus Baur defends "restrictions"


The papers of the auditing office - this also includes the report on the cost explosion in a rental and cleaning service for building yard work clothes, which had leaked out and from which the daily newspaper quoted - are, according to him, for the "Internal service use" elaborated. According to Baur, it is “strange” that “the contents of the committee minutes can hardly be found in the local press after you have signed them yourself”. All members of the municipal council are obliged to maintain secrecy - as long as the obligation of confidentiality has not been lifted. "This is also not the first case, an analogous situation, which even led to a reprimand from the municipal council, already occurred in autumn 2020," continues Baur.

Because of a repeated breach of the rules, restrictions should have been imposed.

"Because personal issues and also the question of official liability have to be protected, since this process extends beyond the current term of office of the municipal council," explains the municipal council.

Baur's conclusion: “When assessing the situation, I cannot see any signs of dictatorship or backroom politics, rather it is sad that in the current term of office of the municipal council, factual work is increasingly being pushed into the background and therefore I would like to appeal for a factual discussion to find back.

Personal defamation and attacks below the belt against Mayor Koch are of little use and should be avoided for reasons of democratic respect. "

Source: merkur

All news articles on 2021-12-30

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