Despite inconsistencies

City of Salzburg waves through Gswb managing director

Gswb gets a new boss - after a long back and forth

(Bild: Andreas Tröster)

As reported, the City of Salzburg today approved the new managing director of the housing association Gswb in the city senate. SPÖ, ÖVP and FPÖ voted for Ferdinand Hochleitner, KPÖ Plus and Bürgerliste voted against. There is to be a contact point for Gswb tenants in future.

The inconsistencies surrounding the appointment of the new Gswb managing director Ferdinand Hochleitner appear to be history. The Salzburg City Senate today approved the appointment of the new boss - with the votes of the SPÖ, ÖVP and FPÖ. The KPÖ Plus - including Kay-Michael Dankl, the deputy mayor responsible for the Gswb - and the Green Citizens' List were against the appointment. 

Inconsistencies emerged
In the run-up to today's vote, the application process and previous career of the designated managing director in particular drew criticism. Hochleitner's previous employer - the non-profit OÖ-Wohnbau - was in danger of having its non-profit status revoked, although this did not happen. The Austrian Trade Union Federation (ÖGB) reported shortcomings in personnel management. Hochleitner was first in line in the application process, but was one of four people who were decidedly close to the ÖVP.

Haslauer steps into the breach for Hochleitner
Governor Wilfried Haslauer (ÖVP) was also recently interviewed about the disputes surrounding the appointment of the new head of Gswb. He says: "I am not aware of any law that would prohibit the ÖVP or personalities close to the CV from practicing their profession. Not even in a housing cooperative. There was also a hearing commission and representatives from the city and state were involved in this decision. What is happening here with the future managing director of Gswb is a Stalinist method of bullying out a personality who is to be publicly destroyed."

State has valid decision, city moves today to
The selection process was initiated under Salzburg's former mayor Harald Preuner (ÖVP) together with Salzburg's black-blue state government. Now the farce surrounding the replacement of the retired Managing Director Peter Rassaerts is to end today. The state government has already made a valid decision to appoint Hochleitner as his successor. The city senate followed suit today. However, Hochleitner will not be made quite so easy: He will be given a catalog of measures to take with him. And he must set up an ombudsman as soon as possible who is not bound by instructions: So that the sometimes disturbing conditions for Gswb tenants come to an end.