As of: January 25, 2024, 11:22 a.m
By: Jörg Domke
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Press
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Handing over the signature lists in the meeting room of the town hall: (from left) Stefan Geisser, co-initiator of the citizens' initiative, BI chairman Michael Kümpfbeck and mayor Michael Stolze.
The response is already overwhelming, with “unrest and discontent” among the residents © Stephan Görlich Photography
The citizens' initiative meets the first demands in the course of a planned referendum: 1,777 citizens have overwritten the required list.
This was now brought to the town hall
Markt Schwaben - The citizens' initiative “Burgerfeld becomes Bürgerfeld” collected 1,777 signatures in just a few days for the citizens' petition for the planned asylum collective accommodation for 120 refugees in the Ziegelstadel/Burgerfeld residential area of Markt Schwaben and has now officially handed them over to Mayor Michael Stolze.
From January 12th to 22nd, committed market Swabian residents distributed the official flyer of the citizens' initiative throughout the market town and actively collected signatures, according to a press release published yesterday.
The response was overwhelming.
More than 1,700 citizens support the request to replan the former Atron site in the interests of the community and to empower the community to take appropriate measures to preserve the character of the district.
Mass asylum accommodation should be ruled out here.
Signatures officially handed over
The citizens' initiative has already officially handed over the signatures to the first mayor in the Swabian town hall.
BI Chairman Michael Kümpfbeck explained: “The vote is clear and concise.
With this large number of signatures, we have far exceeded the required number of nine percent of the signatures of all eligible voters in a very short space of time.
We therefore expect that the market town, after checking the validity of the signatures, will quickly begin preparing a referendum within the framework of the legal requirements.”
According to him, the citizens' initiative is not unsettled by the latest statements from the Ebersberg district office, which denies the municipality its planning sovereignty.
“The municipality’s right to self-government is a very valuable asset that higher-level local authorities cannot simply ignore,” said Kümpfbeck.
He could rely on the assessment of the advising lawyers.
Correct wrong decisions
Stefan Geisser, co-initiator of the citizens' initiative, sees the high level of approval as a clear recommendation for politicians to take action: “The majority of the market town council has already spoken out against the location with its resolution of January 18th.
We encourage the local council, with the support of the signatures submitted, to adopt the citizens' initiative and to get involved in the planning measures.
The strong opinion from the population should now be taken seriously at all political levels in order to correct incorrect decisions in the interests of the citizens.
We are aware that the citizens' initiative is only an important first step.
We will therefore, as we have done in recent weeks, maintain a constructive dialogue with everyone involved and continue to push for our goals.”
The third citizen's initiative co-initiator Andreas Stumptner adds: “Unfortunately, we have not yet seen any efforts to alleviate citizens' concerns.
Construction work is being carried out on the Atron site and high costs are being incurred.
But so far there is not even a spark of a concept for the refugee home, neither from the authorities nor from refugee aid.
It is high time that District Administrator Robert Niedergesäß in particular no longer hides behind the Free State and federal politics and finally faces up to his responsibility towards the citizens of the district.
Through his approach to the project, he significantly caused unrest and discontent among the population.
It cannot be the case that the market Swabians - regardless of whether they are supporters or opponents - have to spoon out this soup for seven long years.
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