The city council - the place for important decisions

The city council represents the interest of 19.000 residents in the district of Rhede and so the upper political organ of decision of the district of Rhede.

The city council meets all significant political decisions of the district. Among other, following examples belong to:

• passing of annual budget of the district as well as investment programmes
• decreeing constitutions, e.g.: plans concerning the building land, sewage fee
• taking decisions concerning investments to ameliorate conditions of living and working as well as the infrastructure (e.g. building of roads, schools, sewage plants)
• overtaking of voluntary duties (that means those duties that are not prescribed by law) -  especially in the domain of culture.

The 38 honorary members of the city council are directly voted by the citizens of the district. The foreign citizens originating from the countries of the European Union resident in the district belong also to those who can vote or be voted since 1996 on the communal level.

The last election of city-council in the district of Rhede took place in 2009. At this time, 14.455 residents were entitled to vote. The election turnout was of 74,2 percent. The next election of city council will take place on 2014.

To prepare its decisions, the city council is supported by several committees (school, education, social welfare, planning). The majority of the political decisions are previously consulted and partly, they are even directly meet here.

The municipal authority prepares the sessions of the city council and the committees. It informs the city council and the committees about all necessary facts and circumstances. It also makes suggestions on coming up decisions and executes it at the end.

The sessions of the city council and the committees are basically public. You can participate in these sessions. Only in some concerns in which confidentiality is prescribed (e.g. personnel cases, property matters or award of a contract), the door must keep closed.

The residents are able to inform theirselve about the sessions of the city council and the committees in the information system of the city council. Please look here: 

The city council is meeting about 6-8 times per year in the conference hall of the office of the district in Rhede. Please find the date of the sessions in the session diary or also in the local press.