City Association demands reforms: unity for a strong community!

City Association demands reforms: unity for a strong community!

Wien, Österreich - On May 22, 2025, the general assembly of the Austrian Association of Town in St. Pölten took place, chaired by Mayor Matthias Stadler. In this context, important topics regarding the future of cities in Austria were discussed, with a unanimous and cross -party resolution being adopted. The meeting also elected a new deputy president: Dietmar Prammer, Mayor of Linz. To further enrich the membership structure, the municipality of Poysdorf was included as a new member.

The meeting also housed the Ukrainian ambassador in Austria, Vasyl Khymynets, and honored Andrea Kaufmann, the former mayor of Dornbirn, with an honorary sign of the Austrian city association. General Secretary Thomas Weninger spoke in his speech about the role of cities in a democratic society and the need to regulate digital space by the EU.

important topics and demands

The resolution of the 74th Austrian City Day included urgent demands on the federal and state governments, especially with regard to the municipal finances. This includes a reform of the property tax and the request for an annual financial assignment of 300 million euros by 2024. The participants also demanded that the government's objective are supported to reduce the complexity of administrative procedures.

Another central concern is the creation of a cross-regional data infrastructure in order to reduce the dependency on non-European IT groups. A call to the Federal Government was pronounced to bring municipal services more into the focus of EU legislation.

digital transformation and European support

In the context of these discussions, the role of intelligent cities, as promoted by the European Commission, is of great importance. Through digital services, these cities are intended to promote the well -being of their residents and the efficient use of resources. The European initiative also includes the development of digital twins for cities and the support of the digital maturity of municipalities and the exchange of data to promote green digital change. The digitization process is also supported by programs such as the Smart Communities Network and the Living-in.eu movement, promoting cooperation between cities and accelerating digital change.

The urgency of the digital transformation is also illustrated by the future radar, which deals with the challenges of digitization, cybersecurity and the use of artificial intelligence in municipalities. In view of the increasing cyber attacks, IT security in cities and municipalities is becoming increasingly important. In order to better address identified needs in digital development, all municipalities are invited to participate in a survey that can be carried out anonymously and online by September 11, 2024. The results of this survey will be presented in autumn 2024 and should be largely incorporated into future strategies and political demands.

The next day of the city, the 75th Austrian City Day, will take place in Leoben in 2026, and the official flag has already been handed over to Mayor Kurt Wallner. This meeting will be a further step in the continuous development and cooperation of the cities.