Mayor ill

Coalition agreement is a long time coming

The government is in place, posts (except for supervisory board members) distributed, but the program is (still) missing.

(Bild: EXPA/ Johann Groder)

Anyone waiting for the coalition agreement of the new Innsbruck city government must continue to be patient: There has been a postponement of the presentation due to illness - but the key points can be found in the respective party programs. However, there is still a question mark over one thing.

The presentation of the working agreement in Innsbruck was postponed by a week on Monday. Innsbruck's new mayor Johannes Anzengruber was absent for a few days due to illness, and the public holiday apparently prevented an earlier date. This is now scheduled for June 3.

The old and the new
What is likely to be in this working paper? Some new things, but presumably also some old familiar ones. For example: A car-free city center, a hobbyhorse of the Greens. Also the bridge over the Inn and the market district, propagated by Vice Georg Willi back in 2018. If that's not enough, at least a solution for the sun deck.

Question mark: financing
The redesign of Bozner Platz should also be beyond dispute. In general, BM Anzengruber's list emphasized the design of valuable outdoor urban spaces and new districts. Whether the countless other project ideas such as the Haus der Musik forecourt, general refurbishment of the Congress, Haus der Alpen, Haus der Kunst etc. can be realized will also depend on the financial situation of the city of Innsbruck.

Debt level reduced
Although the debt level has been reduced from EUR 181 million (2020) to EUR 157 million, the situation remains tense following the slump in revenue shares and the simultaneous increase in material and personnel costs due to inflation. In addition, the areas of social welfare, health, education, housing, child and youth welfare are known cost drivers. And the White-Green-Red coalition has taken up the cause of social welfare.

New supervisory board members
The working paper is still waiting to be finalized. However, learning is already taking place on other fronts: urban planning, one of the most important departments, is on a two-day closed meeting in Bad Häring.

And the city senate is also meeting for the first time since the election on Wednesday. This is where the exciting chapter of new appointments to supervisory boards will begin. No stone will be left unturned, surprises cannot be ruled out. For example, KPÖ supervisory board members in the housing associations.