Following a chaotic previous session, the Klagenfurt city council met with improved decorum to discuss salary adjustments for its 1,800 municipal employees. Disagreement emerged over whether to adopt federal conclusions or hold off for state negotiations, with some factions advocating for a salary freeze. Concerns about the council’s authority amid budget constraints surfaced, prompting calls for a revised budget plan. Amid debates, a compromise proposal was suggested, and the long-awaited appointment of a new municipal director was also on the agenda.
Orderly Proceedings in Klagenfurt City Council
After last week’s tumultuous session of the Klagenfurt city council ended abruptly, Monday’s meeting was conducted with greater decorum. The primary topic of discussion centered around the proposed salary adjustments for the city’s 1,800 municipal employees, with the council set to consider either the pending conclusions for Carinthian state employees or those for municipal workers.
Contentious Salary Adjustment Debate
During the previous city council meeting, tensions escalated over the financial challenges faced by the city and the proposed salary adjustments. The Team Carinthia and FPÖ factions pushed for the adoption of the federal conclusion, while the SPÖ preferred to await the outcome of negotiations with state employees. The ÖVP, on the other hand, advocated for a complete freeze on salary increases. As discussions heated up, questions arose about the council’s authority to make decisions regarding salary adjustments given the current financial circumstances, culminating in Mayor Christian Scheider’s decision to call for a vote on the entire agenda, which resulted in a majority opposing it and effectively ending the session.
Adding to the tension, a letter from municipal supervision was presented ahead of Monday’s meeting, responding to inquiries by the NEOS regarding the legality of a salary adjustment resolution. The response was unequivocal: in the absence of an approved budget, only necessary payments to maintain the city’s administration could be made under the strictest budgetary management. This prompted Finance Officer Constance Mochar (SPÖ) to be urged to present a budget plan.
At the beginning of Monday’s meeting, the ÖVP proposed removing the ‘salary adjustment’ item from the agenda, but this was met with resistance from Team Carinthia and the FPÖ, resulting in the failure to secure the required two-thirds majority for removal.
During the debate, employee representatives voiced their support for salary adjustments in line with the federal conclusions, highlighting a city senate resolution from the summer that stated, ‘the waiver of the salary adjustment will not save the budget.’ FPÖ club chairman Andreas Skorianz criticized this resolution, arguing that loyalty should be a two-way street between the city and its employees. Team Carinthia club chairman Patrick Jonke lamented the situation, claiming the chaos of the last meeting was due to political intrigue at the expense of city workers.
Deputy Mayor Ronald Rabitsch (SPÖ) proposed adopting the state conclusion ‘subject to coverage in the budget,’ seeking a compromise between the extremes of the federal conclusion and a salary freeze. He acknowledged the city’s serious budgetary situation, while ÖVP club chairman Julian Geier emphasized that Klagenfurt could no longer ignore its financial realities and could not afford salary adjustments.
Finance Officer Mochar highlighted her strategies for budget recovery, including proposals to increase parking and sewer connection fees. Additionally, NEOS and the Greens brought forward an urgent motion suggesting that city senate members should forgo 50 percent of their salaries until a proper budget is established.
Lastly, the council was set to address the long-overdue appointment of Isabella Jandl as the new municipal director, a decision that had been postponed due to the previous week’s chaos.