Mega spat in Pressbaum

“Double censure” against the mayor

In Pressbaum, things are going well again behind the town hall walls.

(Bild: P. Huber)

The opposition (WIR list and the Greens) in Pressbaum have made a number of accusations against the mayor in two motions of no confidence. One accusation: Josef Schmidl-Haberleitner will not be standing again in the upcoming municipal elections and is now supposed to "save" himself for this legislative period despite the unclear situation in the town's financial management.

Deliberate dishonesty and budget concealment in the municipal council": Pressbaum's WIR list leader Wolfgang Kalchhauser accuses Mayor Josef Schmidl-Haberleitner in a motion of no confidence and goes on the offensive verbally. "Attached" with another motion of no confidence was SPÖ leader Alfred Gruber. The goal is well known: For years, the opposition has been fighting against PKomm GmbH, to which the municipality has outsourced numerous agendas relating to the swimming pool, school, town hall and, among other things, the water supply.

In our opinion, drawing up the budget retrospectively after the elections leads to a cover-up.

Alfred Gruber, SPÖ

Auditor was "excused"
According to Gruber, auditors had identified red figures in four out of five areas. "But it was precisely this point that was removed from the public council meeting - on the grounds that the auditor was ill," explains Gruber indignantly. Then opinions diverge: one citizen then asked the auditing company out of interest: "They said that the person concerned had never been ill," Gruber and Kalchhauser are annoyed.

Where are the current figures? The election is approaching, the head of the town is leaving - and the cart is obviously deep in the mire.

Wolfgang Kalchhauser, Liste WIR

The ÖVP and Greens would also like to save themselves from the election with just an "emergency budget for 2025" - the head of the municipality, Josef Schmidl-Haberleitner, is no longer standing for election. This is precisely where the head of the municipality comes in: "The basic budget gives my successor complete freedom in setting his priorities," he explains to the "Krone". On the other points, he summarizes as "unnecessary accusations, all of which are explainable".