We've arrived. As a team, in the coalition and with a double budget. And not least in our new office and our employees.
The start as a new council group initially brought with it a task that is not visible to the outside, but was decisive for our work: creating structures that make us capable of working. We were able to build on the good foundations of the council group. At the same time, new people, new tasks, new constellations and some familiar faces in new roles were added to the coalition. Good cooperation needs planning, coordination, feedback and the willingness to try things out and develop. In the meantime, we can say that we have tested our processes, learned a lot together and laid the foundations for reliable cooperation. Now you're allowed to return to routine.
Local politics is a policy to touch. But what is happening right on our doorstep also needs careful preparation, good arguments and intensive discussions. This takes time and strength and makes it all the more beautiful to look back on what we have achieved together in this first year.
The year began and we were already in the middle of intense coalition negotiations, which almost seamlessly continued to work on the double budget.
In addition to the political work, there were also special moments that brought us together beyond the borders of the political groups. One highlight was the reading with Christina Sontheim Levken on World Women's Day at the Grey Hotel. With her book Machtgebiete, she spoke out of her soul to many female entrepreneurs and made visible experiences that still make women much too frequent in their everyday work.
And of course, our work is particularly evident in the concrete decisions and initiatives that we are putting into the Council. Four examples represent our topics and our claim:
Socially just solutions instead of short-term cuts: We were able to reach a compromise in the taxi promotion for students with funding needs and the compass school. Instead of withdrawing funds completely in the short term, there should be a transitional period until the end of the 2026/2027 school year. A further cost assumption is then to be decided socially justly in individual cases. Here we go to amendment.
Making Artificial Intelligence Practical: With an AI strategy for Münster, we want to create the conditions for using AI in a meaningful and practical manner in the city administration. Here we go to motion.
Together against illegal waste disposal: We have taken up the expertise of the district representatives to launch concrete measures against illegal waste disposal. It's a children's home. Here we go to amendment.
Secure public spaces for everyone: A special highlight is the motion against Catcalling, for which we brought best practices from Cologne to Münster. It shows how good ideas from other cities can be picked up and made usable for Münster. Here we go to motion.
However, this selection represents only a part of the work. A large part takes place in discussions, information dates and the continuous examination of the projects of the administration. Whether it's a question of exploring ways of getting a child's day care center threatened by closure, preparing a citizen's information or informing us about the planning status of NRW Day: here too we invest many hours.
This work is not always immediately visible. But it gives us the knowledge we need to argue well, to negotiate viable compromises and to work with the city's players at eye level. We would also like to express our thanks to our team of knowledgeable citizens.
Together with our coalition partners, we have defined the content and organizational roadmap for the coming time. We set clear priorities:
- modern and digital management;
- better conditions for cycling and walking;
- sustainable urban development;
- A cosmopolitan, European Münster.
In the remaining months of this year, we intend to provide further impetus.
An motion that we have pushed forward has been adopted in the Council together with all the democratic council groups and groups and is intended to advance the digitisation of the city administration. Here we go to motion.
We will also bring in an motion in the Committee on Housing and Urban Development on European best practices. Here we go to motion.
But not everything can be planned. In the autumn, news of the significantly lower key allocations from Düsseldorf and the associated risks for the urban budget reached us. This topic is expected to accompany us until spring. Our task force budget is therefore faced with a particularly intensive task: to understand the financial room for manoeuvre of the city, to carefully weigh the consequences and to use us for solutions that hold Münster capable of acting in the long term.
Today we can say: We actively contribute to Münster and set our own accents. We bring in smart ideas, struggle for common solutions and learn with every new task. This is only possible because many people contribute their time, their perspectives and their energy.
We look forward to everything that lies ahead of us: new ideas, good discussions, joint successes and developing Münster step by step.
To the next years – this will be great!
Best regards
Maren Berkenheide, Helene Goldbeck, Sven Konopka
