Mayoral election

After complaint: Fences fall, campers stay

This aerial photo shows Goldwörth during the 2013 floods

(Bild: Kronen Zeitung)

After the national elections, the next ballot is scheduled in Upper Austria: In Goldwörth, three candidates are vying to succeed Johann Müllner (VP), who resigned in June. The former head of the village resigned following accusations. Now there are initial consequences for the landowners.

It remains to be seen whether FP candidate Thomas Prihoda can benefit from the national blue high. In 2021, he was the only opposing candidate to lose to Müllner with 112 to 381 votes. On Sunday, Franz Braterschofsky will stand for election for the SPÖ alongside Bernhard Hofer (VP).

Complaints ignored
Johann Müllner had thrown in the towel because one of the last residents of the village of Hagenau, which became a resettlement zone after the Danube floods of 2002 and 2013, filed a complaint with the Directorate for Internal Affairs and Municipal Affairs (IKD). The tenor was that the mayor had ignored complaints about the non-conforming use of the properties from which the residents had moved away and the houses had been demolished.

I have always said that as soon as there is such an accusation, I will resign. It's not worth it to me to be tarnished like that as mayor.

Johann Müllner (VP) trat mit 1. Juni 2024 nach 17 Jahren als Ortschef ab.

Investigation not completed
The IKD and the Urfahr-Umgebung district authority have split the investigation into the allegations, and the investigation is not yet complete. However, there are already initial consequences for around 20 plot owners. They will soon receive a letter stating that all fences that cannot be moved, as well as small mounds for flower beds, must be removed, as well as small huts and everything that is permanently installed.

"Caravans, provided they are permitted, may remain," says the Urfahr-Umgebung district authority. This is because they can be removed in the event of a new flood. Whether there will be further consequences for the former mayor, who ignored complaints, is still unclear.