Hessian Cities Seek Relief from State Bureaucracy

Hessian local administrations are finding state regulations and standards overly bureaucratic.

Darmstadt‘s city treasurer André Schellenberg (CDU) views the draft law for a municipal flexibility law as “a good thing” in principle. Several weeks ago, Schellenberg, also a member of the executive board of the Hessian Association of Cities, initiated a survey within the Darmstadt city administration, as he informed the FR on Wednesday. The administration is expected to report back to him by year-end, identifying state regulations and standards the city could possibly waive on a trial basis.

Schellenberg admits the response rate thus far has been low,despite his additional responsibilities for city cleaning,the city clinic,and the health department. He appreciates the state’s openness to considering exemptions for municipalities from various state regulations.

Debureaucratization: Will Darmstadt Become a Model Municipality?

The new law also stipulates that fit firefighters can remain on duty for longer than they currently do. © Andreas Arnold