Overview
- The citizen referendum held on Sunday, Sept. 27 produced 2,811 votes for removal (67.7%) and 1,342 against, but the 25% quorum was not reached; the city said 3,131 yes-votes were required and the result missed that mark by 320 votes.
- Because the statutory quorum was not met, Mayor David Rendel legally remains in office despite a clear majority of ballots cast favoring his removal.
- Two members of the WsR faction discovered shredded paper in several bags in the Rathauskeller and reported a grey envelope labeled “Wahlsache”; police seized two garbage bags to test whether the material included official election documents.
- Authorities say if investigators find that election documents were destroyed or that the shredding could have changed the outcome, legal steps could follow, including annulling the referendum or criminal proceedings under review by prosecutors.
- The removal drive grew from a 2023 court ruling against Rendel over reclaiming commission payments; the city council opened the abwahl process in May with a two-thirds vote and local leaders are now calling for mediation to repair fractured relations.