The Mayor and his Office
Mayor Adolf Sauerland
The Mayor is head of administration and at the same time the city's
political representative. He is elected directly by the people - at the
same time as the City Council and District Council. Election is by
simple majority, the candidate with more than half of the valid votes
wins.
If no candidate receives the number of votes required to be directly elected, the two candidates with the highest number of votes go through to a second ballot. The candidate with the highest number of valid votes is then elected.
This was the case at the local elections on 26.09.2004. None of the candidates had the required majority in the first ballot. Adolf Sauerland won the highest number of votes in the second ballot on 10.10.2004, and was elected Mayor with a majority of 61.2 % of the votes, replacing his predecessor Bärbel Zieling. This is the first time in 50 years that a Christian Democrat has held the office of Mayor.
As Chairman of the Council, the Mayor has to convene the council and chair the meetings. He can vote in the Council. By law, he chairs the Steering and Finance Committee.
If the Mayor believes that a resolution of the Council, a committee or a district council is illegal or detrimental to the city, he can object to it or oppose it. This has a suspensive effect: the resolution cannot be implemented until the Council has taken a final decision.
As the Mayor is head of the administration, all city employees report to him. He manages administrative affairs together with the councillors, and he regularly deliberates with them at the Administrative Board Meeting. As head of administration, the Mayor also has to prepare the content of council decisions and present the necessary advisory documents in due time. Following political deliberation, the Mayor is responsible for implementing resolutions. He is obliged to notify the Council of any important administrative matters and on request allow the Council access to administrative files at all times.
As the highest representative, the Mayor represents the city externally. He represents city interests in numerous regional and national bodies.
These many representative duties in particular take up a great deal of time and most days the Mayor's diary is filled with tributes, celebrations and jubilees. He frequently holds receptions at the city hall to honour citizens who have served their city or to welcome guests from other cities and countries.
Given so many duties, the Mayor cannot attend all these appointments personally. He has three deputy mayors to assist him, and they can not only represent him in these duties but also chair Council Meetings.
At its constitutive meeting on 14 October 2004, the Council elected the Mayor's honorary deputies who are: Deputy Mayor Doris Janicki (Green), Deputy Mayor Monika Busse (Social Democrat) and Deputy Mayor Benno Lensdorf (Christian Democrat).
If no candidate receives the number of votes required to be directly elected, the two candidates with the highest number of votes go through to a second ballot. The candidate with the highest number of valid votes is then elected.
This was the case at the local elections on 26.09.2004. None of the candidates had the required majority in the first ballot. Adolf Sauerland won the highest number of votes in the second ballot on 10.10.2004, and was elected Mayor with a majority of 61.2 % of the votes, replacing his predecessor Bärbel Zieling. This is the first time in 50 years that a Christian Democrat has held the office of Mayor.
As Chairman of the Council, the Mayor has to convene the council and chair the meetings. He can vote in the Council. By law, he chairs the Steering and Finance Committee.
If the Mayor believes that a resolution of the Council, a committee or a district council is illegal or detrimental to the city, he can object to it or oppose it. This has a suspensive effect: the resolution cannot be implemented until the Council has taken a final decision.
As the Mayor is head of the administration, all city employees report to him. He manages administrative affairs together with the councillors, and he regularly deliberates with them at the Administrative Board Meeting. As head of administration, the Mayor also has to prepare the content of council decisions and present the necessary advisory documents in due time. Following political deliberation, the Mayor is responsible for implementing resolutions. He is obliged to notify the Council of any important administrative matters and on request allow the Council access to administrative files at all times.
As the highest representative, the Mayor represents the city externally. He represents city interests in numerous regional and national bodies.
These many representative duties in particular take up a great deal of time and most days the Mayor's diary is filled with tributes, celebrations and jubilees. He frequently holds receptions at the city hall to honour citizens who have served their city or to welcome guests from other cities and countries.
Given so many duties, the Mayor cannot attend all these appointments personally. He has three deputy mayors to assist him, and they can not only represent him in these duties but also chair Council Meetings.
At its constitutive meeting on 14 October 2004, the Council elected the Mayor's honorary deputies who are: Deputy Mayor Doris Janicki (Green), Deputy Mayor Monika Busse (Social Democrat) and Deputy Mayor Benno Lensdorf (Christian Democrat).