FPÖ demands takeover by municipality

FPÖ parliamentary group leader Christian Deutinger is therefore calling for the municipality to temporarily take over the postal partnership until a permanent solution is found. “The security of postal services must be guaranteed in the interests of our citizens.” “The petition from the FPÖ Kematen, which is supported by many community members, clearly shows how important local postal services are,” said Deutinger.

For this reason, the FPÖ is submitting a motion for the next municipal council meeting on September 17. It claims that the municipality itself will take over the role of postal partner in order to close the gap until a new contractual partner is found. Deutinger cites municipalities such as Niederneukirchen or Hargelsberg as examples, where similar solutions have already been implemented.

Mayor Markus Stadlbauer, however, is skeptical about this proposal. “Unfortunately, I still don’t know the concept of parliamentary group leader Deutinger, as it was introduced without any prior discussion or consultation in the relevant committee,” explains Stadlbauer. He points out that a temporary takeover by the municipality would bring with it considerable organizational and financial challenges. In addition to the counter work, additional rooms would have to be created for the storage of mail and banking transactions (via Bank99) would have to be carried out, which would require trained staff. “The remuneration from the post office does not even fully cover the personnel costs,” he adds.

External search continues

The mayor stresses that the postal partnership is particularly attractive as a “frequency generator” for local companies such as local retailers, petrol stations or bakeries. Negotiations with potential partners such as the REWE Group or tobacconists are already underway. However, no concrete agreements have been reached so far.

Stadlbauer also points out that the implementation of the FPÖ’s proposal could have a negative impact on the already tight municipal budget. “In particular, the necessary reconstruction measures and personnel costs would place a heavy burden on the budget,” says Stadlbauer. Nevertheless, the municipality will continue to work on a long-term solution in order to be able to offer citizens a reliable postal service.