After "Krone" report

Loud calls for a new chief job advertisement

Ferdinand Hochleitner is due to take over as head of Gswb on October 1 - the city government could throw a spanner in the works. The unrest at Salzburg's largest non-profit housing association.(Bild: Andreas Tröster)

Some parties reacted with horror to a "Krone" report about the legacy of the designated Gswb boss Ferdinand Hochleitner. Former, deposed boss of OÖ Wohnbau must fear for the approval of the city senate.

From one crisis to the next - this is the impression given by Gswb, Salzburg's largest non-profit housing association. After the dismissal of Peter Rassaerts as managing director, the new one, Ferdinand Hochleitner, was supposed to bring calm to the scandal-ridden service provider for affordable housing from October 1.

Did the personnel consulting firm not know anything, did it not do any research, did Mr. Hochleitner not mention anything about his past? A new call for tenders is necessary.

Vincent Pultar, Klubobmann Stadt-SPÖ, Aufsichtsratsmitglied der Gswb

The opposite is the case. The outcry following a Krone article about the Upper Austrian's legacy was enormous. He was co-head of OÖ Wohnbau, which is comparable to Gswb, until 2022. It was only allowed to retain its non-profit status by a hair's breadth after several years of audits by the Linz tax office. However, this fact and the less than benevolent opinions of works council members from Upper Austria about Hochleitner's leadership are unlikely to have played a role in the selection process.

Tests and interviews were carried out by a personnel consulting firm. Politics was kept strictly out of this process.

Landeshauptmann Wilfried Haslauer (ÖVP) über das Bewerbungsverfahren zum neuen Gswb-Geschäftsführer

Whether we can really make a fresh start at Gswb with this new management is more than questionable to me!

Ingeborg Haller, Klubobfrau Bürgerliste/Grüne

"Why didn't the state inform the city?"
In any case, Deputy Mayor Kay-Michael Dankl (KPÖ) is also appalled alongside the Greens and the SPÖ. "Not disclosing the matter with the tax office fits in with the Gswb's lack of culture. There is a need for clarification. I wouldn't agree to an official report at the moment," he explains. After all, Hochleitner's appointment as head requires a decision by the city senate.

Dankl criticizes the state, but also receives criticism from other parties(Bild: Josh McGregor)

As the Gswb owner's representative for the city, Dankl took note of the expert commission's recommendations around two months ago. "I wonder to what extent the responsible Deputy Mayor Dankl has looked into the appointment," Lukas Rupsch (Neos) criticizes Dankl. "The city government must not hide behind ignorance." They - Dankl and Mayor Auinger - should have spoken out earlier about the Hochleitner appointment.

In this regard, Dankl passes the ball on to the state: "If the state was aware of Hochleitner's background, why wasn't the city informed?" Vincent Pultar (SPÖ) is already running out of patience: "A new tender for the position of managing director is urgently needed."