Munich (dpa/lby) – 50 years ago, Bavaria halved the number of its districts to 71; The Ministry of the Interior and the district council do not see a need for reform of the current municipal structures in the near future. “We are already finding common ways and answers to many questions. This does not require extra institutionalized forms, since the borders of local authorities are often of secondary importance for pending issues such as climate problems or public transport. Inter-communal cooperation is a strong and proven instrument for many fields of action.” , said the president of the district council, Thomas Karmasin.
The Ministry of the Interior also relies on close cooperation between the municipalities. When asked, a spokesman said: “Even in regions where the population is declining, the citizens living there have a right to the services of a well-functioning and easily accessible administration in can claim.”
Although the digitization of administration offers new opportunities, the creation of larger administrative units is not a panacea. “Instead, the state government considers the further intensification of inter-municipal cooperation to be a forward-looking strategy.” Especially for rural areas, close cooperation offers new opportunities in view of limited financial resources. “By municipalities working together across municipal boundaries, they can provide better, more diverse and resource-efficient services.”
On July 1, 1972, the districts in the Free State were reorganized, followed later by the municipalities, their number fell from around 7,000 to around 2,000.
“In many places, we have succeeded in creating better structures for more efficiency, also with the help of larger district administrations. Our municipalities have mostly grown into powerful economic regions,” said Karmasin. “We were able to work together to strengthen school, medical and nursing care, the expansion and maintenance of rails, roads, broadband and network coverage,” added the Fürstenfeldbruck district administrator. “Nevertheless, there are still regions that are having a harder time and are also fighting for jobs. That is and will remain a major obligation for all of us. A functioning community is a great asset that needs a strong foundation in the form of an efficient administration.”
