Scandal in Mühldorf: Mayor Hetzl in the crossfire of criticism!

Scandal in Mühldorf: Mayor Hetzl in the crossfire of criticism!

In Mühldorf am Inn, local politics is facing a huge storm. The municipal utilities suffered a loss of around seven million euros in 2022, which has been known since the summer of 2025. However, this financial shock was not communicated by the municipal utilities or the city itself. Instead, city councilors such as Kathrin Enzinger from the Greens and Stefan Lasner from the CSU sharply criticized Mayor Michael Hetzl's (independent) information policy. Enzinger even accused the mayor of presenting false figures and deceiving the city council in a sensitive matter, which caused tempers to run high in the city.

Hetzl responded to the charges with an email in which he cited possible “criminal relevance” of the statements. “That wasn’t possible,” Lasner boasted about the city leadership’s information policy. He noted that such serious information should have been communicated immediately. Both factions, the Greens and the SPD, have already drawn up an extensive list of questions for the Audit Committee. This will be discussed at the upcoming city council meeting on October 29th, accompanied by two motions from the Greens and a joint motion with the SPD.

The background to the loss

The reasons for the high loss of the municipal utilities are complex. According to managing director Alfred Lehmann, it is primarily the high procurement costs for electricity that are putting a strain on the municipal utility's office. More household customers had to be included in the basic service, which further exacerbated the situation. In addition, there are currently no audited annual financial statements for the years from 2022, which further hinders transparency. An unregulated insurance claim also delays the balance sheets.

In addition, parts of local politics also accuse the mayor of a lack of transparency - a bitter accusation that does not defuse the already tense situation. A request for a special City Council meeting was rejected because not enough signatures could be collected. This has only fueled discontent, as financial education remains urgently needed. There are rumors that a loan worth millions may have been taken out to cover the losses. The mayor's office maintains that the city's finances and tax payments from the population will not be affected, and also assures that the planned new indoor swimming pool is not in danger.

A look at the past few years shows that the municipal utilities were still in a good financial position until 2021. The profits in 2019 were around 1.4 million euros, and in 2020 and 2021 they were around 600,000 euros each. For 2023, a profit of around 2.8 million euros is expected. It will therefore be exciting to see how the situation will develop and whether the mayor can regain the trust of the population with his strategies in the coming period.

The dispute over the municipal utilities shows once again how important transparency is in local politics. While the mayor speaks of “campaign skirmishes,” citizens are wondering whether they are really being adequately informed. It remains to be hoped that the upcoming meetings will bring more clarity and the situation can be smoothed out.