Council shortening in Bardowick: saving or losing political diversity?

Council shortening in Bardowick: saving or losing political diversity?

Bardowick, Deutschland - In Bardowick, there is an urgent need for action, which results from the tense budget situation. The CDU/FDP group has made an application to drastically reduce the number of council members from 24 to 18. Dr. Markus Grube (CDU), the initiator of the application, explains that the velvet community must expect a deficit of around 3.7 million euros for 2025. "We have to save money, so we propose to reduce six council members," said Grube. This savings could generate up to 6480 euros annually, but this has only a minimal influence on the planned budget of 29.8 million euros - about 0.02 percent, like the However, these plans encounter resistance. Representatives of the SPD and the Greens argue that fewer council members would lead to a loss of political diversity. "It is grossly negligent to risk democracy," warns Patrick Backeberg (Greens). The concerns range from the consideration that different opinions and perspectives could also be lost with the reduction of members. While Grube sees the measures as part of a budgetary security concept, the opponents emphasize the need for a broader representation in the Council. The application was finally rejected, which prompted Grube to announce another application for the next council meeting.