In Hessen the “Erster Stadtrat” is who the town council elects to run the town administration in a full time position as deputy to the Mayor.
To find out what the job involves, I spoke to the outgoing incumbent in Oberursel, Christof Fink, a few weeks before he left office:
I must have driven past the building that houses the Jugendtreff or youth club in Oberstedten – part of Oberusel – many times without realising that it is there. For me, the building housed the local Amtsgericht or court, but yesterday I found out just how much more goes on in there.
The room has been restyled and redecorated, and yesterday the grand opening took place with a number of the town’s dignitaries in attendance.
And whilst it is just one room that is available for Oberstedten’s teenagers to meet in, that room is not just a big open space. Following a “beach bar” theme, there are corners where people can sit and chat but also an open space that contains a table-top football game (“Kicker”) and a pool table. There is also plenty of space outside that can be used in the summer months.
This is, however, just the latest use for this room. Local residents who were at the opening told me that although it is known as the Altes Rathaus or Old Town Hall, the building was housed the village school and even the public baths. [Read more…]
The local elections last year in Oberursel saw a change in the ruling coalition. The parties CDU and FDP had held a majority for many years and suddenly found themselves replaced by a mixture of the Green, SPD and OBG parties.
At the end of the day, no party holds more than a third of the seats, so the only chance for the town’s parliament to move anything forward is to work together.
It is something that is reflected in the new structure of the town’s administration in the Rathaus. [Read more…]
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