Parking spaces in city centers are limited, and parking fees are often high. It’s no wonder that some people complain loudly when the councils of the collecting city don’t want to pay anything themselves.
Back in December, the Magdeburg city council decided to increase parking fees in the city center. A decision like this alone is usually enough to cause a small storm of indignation among visitors and residents. But as the “” now reports, that’s not all. Another change for parkers is causing even more discomfort.
As early as next week, the city’s representatives are to discuss whether they want to exempt themselves from the higher fees – the CDU and FDP submitted the corresponding application. CDU politician Bernd Heynemann wrote to “Bild”: “The increase in parking fees also means an increasing burden on city councilors.” He is therefore calling for a “special parking permit for city councilors during meetings”, as these often last the whole day, which would obviously greatly increase the financial burden on representatives who travel by car.
Public transport is not an option
In future, a public parking space in Magdeburg will cost up to 13.50 euros per day. And in fact, the volunteer local politicians apparently do not earn much – according to “Bild”, it is 16 euros for each meeting and a flat rate of 230 euros per month.
Heynemann also explains why it is acceptable for everyone else to somehow swallow the new fees. In his opinion, visitors to the city do not come in “voluntarily” and come to the city center to “drink coffee or stroll”. The CDU politician also has an answer to the question of why the city councilors do not travel by public transport. According to him, that is probably not an option, because “after 9 p.m.” he no longer takes the tram and in winter “he does not get on a bike.”
Criticism of demand for exemption for parking
The Taxpayers’ Association in Saxony-Anhalt criticized this. Ralf Seibicke told the “Bild”: “The city councilors should have considered beforehand what effects an increase would have. When you turn the fee screw, you can’t exclude yourself.” He called the motion, which is still to be negotiated, a “strong piece.”
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It remains to be seen whether the CDU and FDP’s wishes will be heard. A Left Party politician has already announced that she will vote against the proposal, and an SPD city councillor has shown just as little understanding. Both were surprised by the city councillors’ consideration of how best to circumvent their own rules for their own benefit. Visitors and residents would certainly not be happy if they were to grant themselves the exemption.
Source: Stern
I’m a recent graduate of the University of Missouri with a degree in journalism. I started working as a news reporter for 24 Hours World about two years ago, and I’ve been writing articles ever since. My main focus is automotive news, but I’ve also written about politics, lifestyle, and entertainment.
