A petition for a referendum can be used to request that the citizens of the municipality decide on a matter (referendum). Certain formal requirements must be observed when initiating a petition for a referendum. The petition must be signed by at least 10 percent of the citizens of Salzgitter. As with the residents' petition, a citizens' petition may only relate to certain matters. In some matters listed in the law, a citizens' petition is not permitted. If you have any questions about the citizens' petition, you can obtain further information from the Council and Municipal Affairs Department.

Residents who have reached the age of 14 and have had their main place of residence in the municipality for at least 3 months can request that the council discuss certain matters. However, residents' applications may only deal with certain matters. The residents' petition must be submitted in writing and must contain a specific request with reasons and name up to three persons who are authorized to represent the signatories. The residents' petition requires the signatures of at least 2.5 percent of the population of the City of Salzgitter. The list of signatures must be attached to the residents' petition. The administrative committee decides on the admissibility of the application. If you have any questions about the residents' petition, you can obtain further information from the Council and Municipal Affairs Department.

The Council gives all residents the opportunity to ask questions on matters concerning the city. Questions must be submitted in writing to the Lord Mayor's office by 1 p.m. at least 14 days before a Council meeting and will then be answered as far as possible at the beginning of the next Council meeting. However, there is no discussion.

Every person has the right to address the Council with suggestions or complaints regarding municipal matters.

The council may decide to consult citizens on municipal matters.

According to the municipal code, citizens are obliged to take on honorary positions and other voluntary work for the municipality. Within the scope of its organizational sovereignty, the municipality decides which tasks are to be performed on a voluntary basis. The acceptance of an honorary post can only be refused for important reasons. An important reason would be, for example, that you are unable to perform the voluntary work due to health, work or family circumstances.