"With a positive mood, you can simply achieve much more", says jurgen kohmann (CSU). "We have succeeded in coming to an agreement in the city council that transcends party boundaries. The atmosphere is right", says the mayor, who found different circumstances when he was first elected as a city councilor 17 years ago. "If I have been able to contribute a little to this, then I am pleased."
When in one year, on 16. March 2014, is elected, kohmann remains in office in any case. He was first confirmed as mayor in 2012, and his term will last until 2018. But the 24 city council seats are filled by electoral votes.
Twelve comrades-in-arms inspire
"I can only suggest everyone to take an interest", says kohmann "nowhere else do you have the opportunity to realize ideas and concepts so directly." he calculates also immediately before: who can inspire twelve comrades-in-arms in the committee for its idea, can realize it also. "Getting your way in other – rougher – bodies is much more difficult than at the municipal level."
Jurgen kohmann, mayor of bad staffelstein by
He has already been able to make a big difference – which not everyone sees right away. "We faced a mammoth task with the sewage system", says kohmann. Before his term as mayor, bad staffelstein was the community with the worst connection values in all of bavaria. After ten newly sewered districts and 15 million euros later, the tide has turned: bad staffelstein is top in bavaria. In addition, there was the flood clearance through the city center, a new fire station with five parking spaces and a central city building yard.
"Due to a regrettable insolvency, we were able to reduce the building yard and the building office to a total of 30 employees.000 square meters concentrate. That's a huge step forward", says kohmann.
All these steps have left their mark: the city has debts. At the end of 2012, it was 19.1 million euros. "The financial situation forces the city council and the administration not to spend more money than is really necessary."
Road at the spa park to be completed
in the year before the municipal elections, the road at the spa park is to be completed, a project that cost 1.9 million euros. The village renewals in horsdorf, stublang and wiesen continue, or are even completed. Then kohmann wanted to develop 15 building sites on upper gartenstrabe. "The need is there. We are already preparing the next construction area at the kommbuhl and at the hirtengasse", says kohmann.
This would fit well with a rough wish of his: for the north-east ring road, which is to connect the horsdorf traffic circle with the lichtenfels traffic circle. "Then we could not only develop this area, but also move the state highway out of the city center." from the window of the town hall he sees how much heavy traffic squeezes through the narrow street. For the old half-timbered houses, which are close to the road, this is not good. "When we no longer had this traffic, we had new design possibilities in the city center." but these are the tasks for the new city council from 2014 onwards. Also the completion of the bahnhofstrabe as an axis between the city center and the thermal baths.
More women wanted
Three women currently sit on the staffelstein city council. "The CSU will try", says kohmann "to nominate more women in the next election." it will reach the goal, in 2008 there was only one on the list. "But there is also the possibility to run with new, young lists. The chances are good in the constitutional elections." kohmann himself came over such a "young list" 17 years ago to the city council. "I took the plunge back then – and some of the new members of the city council are still with me." hartwig hummer (CSU), jurgen hagel (CSU), hans-josef stich (CSU) and werner freitag (SBUN). "I was interested in the city", says kohmann about his reasons for doing it "and for my other hobby i was getting too old at that time." this is how he swapped fubball for a chair on the city council. "Politics is also a team sport – but it also needs the ideas of individuals." and just as the climate in the city council has improved, kohmann also believes that voters today no longer want mudslinging in the election campaign. "I'd rather talk about election advertising, which everyone does to get as many votes as possible."