On Monday, an audit was discussed during a closed-door municipal council meeting in Dippach. “Over the past few years, we have indeed noticed certain inconveniences affecting both staff and the municipal council”, the mayoral committee responded in writing when asked. As a result, the decision was made to hire an external firm with the agreement of the municipal council.
Discussions with employees revealed that “certain practices within the mayoral committee contribute to these issues”. The committee therefore requested documentation of these concerns in order to “develop strategies to improve the situation”.
Following staff discussions, individual meetings with the committee, and workshops, efforts are now being made to adjust the organisational structure and redistribute responsibilities within the committee. However, the exact contents of the audit have not been disclosed.
The citizens’ initiative, ‘Gemeng Dippach’, has been criticising the municipality’s management for years. “The report on the administrative and management accounts from the Ministry of the Interior gets thicker every year. And these are issues that are reviewed in just two or three days”, said Sven Schaul. Despite the Ministry of the Interior repeatedly identifying serious irregularities and violations during inspections, no consequences have followed so far.
Municipal councillors Sven Schaul and Romain Scheuren from the citizens’ initiative ‘Gemeng Dippach’ also lamented that, since the audit was discussed behind closed doors, they could not comment on its contents. However, they see no justification for such secrecy, especially as the external consultation cost €57,000 – an amount officially recorded in the municipal budget and funded by taxpayers.
The municipal council, however, emphasised that the decision to hold a closed-door meeting was made because the discussion involved sensitive information, including specific names. Moreover, no one had requested that the issue be addressed in a public session, which is otherwise common practice.
The mayoral committee consists of Mayor Manon Bei-Roller (LSAP), First Alderman Luc Ehering (DP), and Alderman Philippe Meyers (LSAP). The opposition comprises the CSV party and the Gemeinde Dippach citizens’ initiative.
