Proposal fails

Without Scheider, there will be no new head of the city council

Thanks to the votes of the SP and FP, the Klagenfurt Special City Senate on Monday was supposed to appoint Jürgen Dumpelnik as the new municipal director, but the motion was rejected. Only Mayor Christian Scheider (Team Kärnten) can submit the motion as personnel officer. Team Kärnten is calling for an examination of the hearing procedure beforehand.

Deputy Mayor Philipp Liesnig (SP) is currently in South Africa. The SP actually thought that the appointment of Jürgen Dumpelnik as Jost's successor as the new municipal director could be tabled by two members of the city senate at the next municipal council meeting on April 25.

However, this is not the case. Following consultation with the municipal supervisory authority, deputy municipal director Stephane Binder found out that only the mayor, as personnel officer, is allowed to submit this motion. There is no getting around the mayor in the election. However, Team Kärnten, the VP and the Greens want the hearing procedure to be reviewed.

And that could take time. Dumpelnik would have a majority in the election thanks to the votes of the SP, FP and Neos. Nevertheless, these three parties will have to wait. The next city senate meeting is on Tuesday. SP candidate Jürgen Dumpelnik should have been given a fixed-term contract until December 31, 2027. There are also differences over pay. According to town hall calculations, the new head of the municipal council should earn around 8,000 euros gross. Dumpelnik's previous periods of service with private employers (20 years) are to be taken into account. With a bonus, he would - according to Scheider - earn a good 11,000 euros. Three parties apparently do not want to pay this.

Scheider could theoretically be stripped of the personnel portfolio by the SP and FP in the city senate - but the parties are unlikely to go that far. The SP argues that the Villach municipal director would earn 13,900 euros gross in comparison, Klagenfurt would have to adapt. FP city councillor Sandra Wassermann was absent from the special city senate on Monday because she allegedly disagreed with her club on the appointment. Many want to appoint Michael Zernig, who also performed excellently in the hearing process. At the same time, retired municipal director Peter Jost is suing for reinstatement. 

The VP wants to wait until there is a court ruling in this case. "It is both worrying and disappointing how all the rules are being bent to push through an SP candidate. This strange understanding of the law displayed by the SP and FP is a slap in the face for all employees. In view of the possible wage increases over the next 10, 15 and 20 years, the long-term consequences for the city are hard to imagine. Such decisions must not be taken lightly just because someone is a favorite of the SP," warns VP Club Leader Julian Geier.