The action alliance "Pro Hospital Schongau" has collected over 5000 signatures as part of a petition.
Now the group dares to take the next step: a district-wide citizens' initiative.
District – Daniela Puzzovio and her fellow campaigners from the action alliance “Pro Hospital Schongau” had already warned all citizens who had supported their petition: “We may need your signature again.” Even then, people had in mind a citizens’ initiative start.
Now these plans are "very concrete," Puzzovio told the local newspaper.
"We are currently preparing." Care is required, after all it is important to know and comply with various formalities - such as a correctly formulated question to be answered with "yes" or "no" and a reason.
The (now closed) petition "Hands off!
The inpatient and emergency care in our hospitals in Schongau and Weilheim” (we reported) had “achieved an excellent result”, according to the action alliance in a press release.
It was signed by 4,407 citizens from the Weilheim-Schongau district;
a total of 5156 signatures came together.
"They showed that the Schongau location with internal medicine, surgery, intensive care unit and emergency ambulance must be maintained." Citizens have also repeatedly expressed at the information stands "that for them a new clinic on the green field is a completely unnecessary financial burden on the district for decades".
County-wide Citizens' Petition
It was hoped that the petition would make district councilors rethink - and they still do.
But just a few minutes after members of the action alliance had submitted their petition to the district council, the committee already voted against the suggestion of the free voters to look at the costs for different scenarios - the focus is still only on a central clinic, Puzzovio reminds.
This leaves the only way to initiate a citizens' initiative against the plans and to collect signatures again.
There can be no question of transparency and "taking the citizens with you", which was demanded by the Bavarian Minister of Health Klaus Holetschek.
It's not a matter of fundamentally opposing a central clinic - but too many questions are still open, according to Puzzovio.
Even if, according to the action alliance, the construction of a central hospital would primarily endanger the Schongau location, one does not only want to collect signatures here, says Puzzovio.
The district regulations for the Free State of Bavaria state: "If a municipality belonging to a district is particularly affected by a measure taken by the district, a referendum on this measure can also be requested by the citizens of this municipality."
(By the way: everything from the region is now also available in our regular Schongau newsletter.)
supporters wanted
Ultimately, the entire district was affected.
And that's why the citizens' initiative should also be started across the district, explains Puzzovio.
This means a lot of effort for the action alliance and that more signatures have to be collected.
At least five percent of the citizens of the district must sign the petition for a referendum so that a referendum can take place, according to the local newspaper at the district office.
The signatures have to be collected on the street, so to speak, according to Puzzovio.
Lists will not be laid out in town halls.
Collecting so many signatures is a hurdle, says Puzzovio.
"But otherwise it would probably be done all the time." The action alliance is looking for supporters - "multipliers" who bring the idea closer to larger groups in the entire district, such as clubs, and sponsors.
A citizen information sheet that is to be distributed throughout the district will quickly cost money.
According to the district office, the district council decides on the admissibility of the citizens' request.
If everything goes well, there will be a referendum.
This is “to be carried out on a Sunday within three months of the admissibility of the citizens’ request being determined.”
You can find more current news from the region around Schongau at Merkur.de/Schongau.