It is a time to reflect on values that I consider to be the highest goods, in addition to highly personal matters of faith: Peace and love of neighbor.
These last days of the year invite us to look back and get in the mood for the new year.
"To shut the door on change would be to shut out life itself."
With this quote from the American poet Walt Whitman (1819 to 1892), I would like to begin by addressing a topic that affects many of us most in these days, weeks and months. In 2015, which is now gradually drawing to a close, our city of Salzgitter has taken in around 1,000 refugees - and many more are expected in the coming year.
Women, men and children fleeing civil war and violence, attacks and the arbitrariness of terrorist militias against their own countrymen are coming to us. They are coming to experience something we take for granted for themselves and their loved ones: A life in safety and peace.
Many older people in our city, which is characterized by immigration, also experienced the situation of having to leave their homeland with only the bare necessities during the war and post-war period. They found a new home here and made a significant contribution to the rebuilding of the city around 70 years ago. They have made Salzgitter what it is today: a cosmopolitan city characterized by humanity and charity. A city with cultural diversity that enriches us all.
I am proud of "my" Salzgitter residents, who have welcomed the refugees with an exemplary welcoming culture, outstanding commitment and a willingness to help. Building on this, I am convinced that together we will succeed in integrating these people into our community and giving them a new home.
Nevertheless, I expect the federal and state governments to do everything they can without delay to tackle the causes of flight, limit the influx of refugees and steer it in an orderly direction. Social peace in our community depends on it.
But what else did 2015 bring me, what did it bring us and what else did it bring Salzgitter?
It is naturally difficult to limit a review of the year to just a few points. After all, there were and are so many topics in this eventful year that are of great importance to me as Lord Mayor - but also to you, the citizens. For example, the objection campaign on the Konrad mine, the parents' consultation on the establishment of a second integrated comprehensive school, the first joint breaking of the fast and the opening of the Café del Lago on Salzgittersee.
Dear fellow citizens,
The voluntary commitment of the people of our city to the refugee issue is only one side of the coin. On the other side, there are immense efforts and challenges to be mastered at municipal level as rarely before.
Back in August of this year, I was one of the first mayors in Germany to point out the problems we face in coping with the influx of refugees. I called for comprehensive relief in the accommodation of refugees, the construction of refugee accommodation and the associated necessary legal adjustments in the sense of a Marshall Plan - addressed to the decision-makers at federal and state level in Lower Saxony. In the meantime, initial resolutions have been passed at federal and state level in line with these demands.
Resolutions that have also had a lasting impact on my work in the Association of Cities and Towns of Lower Saxony, of which I was elected President in September for the second time since 2011. There, and also as a member of the Presidium of the German Association of Cities and Towns and the German Association of Towns and Municipalities, I am committed to municipal interests - but also to the well-being of our city of Salzgitter.
One important issue in the association's work is the financial resources available to local authorities. I have long been calling for the federal and state governments to reimburse the costs incurred by the municipalities. If the cities and municipalities take on tasks that have been transferred to them, such as inclusion, school social work or refugee aid, then the financial costs must be paid in full.
In this context, I never tire of mentioning that the city of Salzgitter does not have a spending problem, but a revenue problem. We are more dependent than many other cities and municipalities in Lower Saxony on the trade tax revenues of the large industrial companies based here, such as Salzgitter AG, Alstom, MAN, Bosch and Volkswagen. In these weeks, it has become particularly clear that the emissions scandal at Volkswagen, with all its financial consequences for the company, will also have an enormous impact on the affected municipal budgets - even though I am certain that the Board of Management, Works Council and employees will work together to steer the company back into calmer waters.
My goal as Lord Mayor of our city remains - and I feel confirmed in this by my re-election last year - to further advance the development of Salzgitter into one of the most child- and family-friendly learning cities.
Together with my colleagues in Braunschweig and Wolfsburg, I would also like to continue to promote the integration and significant improvement of infrastructure and local transport between the cities of Salzgitter, Braunschweig and Wolfsburg. By standing shoulder to shoulder, we three mayors have succeeded in giving our demands towards the state the necessary weight for successful negotiations. The funds made available here by the state of Lower Saxony must be significantly increased in line with the actual size and economic strength of our region. The people in our city will also benefit from a half-hourly regional rail service connecting our cities with a complementary express bus service, a gap closure on the A39 between Wolfsburg and Lüneburg and a double-track expansion of the Weddel loop between Braunschweig and Wolfsburg and, last but not least, a real time alternative to the car for commuters. The expansion of the Salzgitter branch canal is also absolutely essential in the interests of Lower Saxony's third-largest industrial location.
Another important topic for the region and for Salzgitter - but also for me personally - this year was the issue of the planned storage of nuclear waste in the Konrad mine. The federal government's first draft of the National Waste Disposal Program still included the looming option of doubling the amount of waste to be stored in Konrad. We were able to avert this as a major and important success from our objection campaign against the Konrad mine, which we carried out together with our alliance partners. Within just a few weeks, we were able to collect an impressive total of almost 70,000 objections and send a clear signal to Berlin at the end of May 2015.
Even if the decision is not yet completely off the table, the objection campaign shows one thing very clearly: it shows that we can make a difference together. This is one of the reasons why many local authorities in our region are currently adopting a joint appeal to demand, among other things, a reassessment of the "Schacht Konrad" project in line with the current state of science and technology. In my view, this reassessment can only lead to the conclusion that the Konrad mine is not suitable as a storage site.
Citizen participation and public consultation are key building blocks when it comes to determining how our city will position itself in the future, as can be seen in the project to redesign the market square in Salzgitter-Bad or in the parent consultation on the establishment of a second integrated comprehensive school.
But civic engagement is also a supporting pillar, an indispensable resource for our community that we cannot do without. Many citizens and many companies have taken on responsibility - in some cases for many years or even decades - and are committed to our city. They look after their fellow human beings, even those who are not on the sunny side of life. They join the volunteer fire department or do their bit for the environment. They ensure a lively club life or finance cultural and sporting highlights.
Each and every one of them contributes a great deal to making Salzgitter as liveable as we know it today. Each and every individual strengthens cohesion and cooperation in our society. I would like to say a big thank you for this!
What will 2016 bring us?
That is a question that is not easy to answer. What is certain is that the integration of refugees, our new citizens, will continue to occupy us as one of the greatest challenges since reunification. Just like the planned storage of nuclear waste in the Konrad mine or the negotiations to improve local public transport.
Whatever else the coming year may bring us. As Mayor of Salzgitter, I can assure you that I will act for the benefit of the citizens - but also for the benefit and future of our city of Salzgitter.
I am convinced that together we will not close the doors in the coming year in the spirit of Walt Whitman. Let us keep them open to shape the future!
I wish you and your loved ones a reflective and peaceful Christmas and a happy and, above all, healthy New Year 2016!
Yours
Frank Klingebiel
Lord Mayor of the City of Salzgitter