City council budget vote miscount sparks political uproar and calls for transparency
Bergisch Gladbach City Administration Corrects Budget Vote Count—By One Vote
The city administration has reviewed the results of the city council's budget vote—and adjusted the tally by a single vote. While the outcome remains unchanged, the correction is significant for the CDU, as it demonstrates that the party's majority did not actually depend on support from the AfD. Though this holds true only under one specific condition.
On March 24, Bergisch Gladbach's city council approved the municipal budget—in a version that, at the CDU's proposal, diverged from the administration's original draft on key points. The measure passed with the votes of the CDU, the AfD, the Bürgerpartei (Citizens' Party), and independent council member Benno Nuding. After the vote, Mayor Marcel Kreutz announced that the CDU's proposal had prevailed by a margin of 37 to 31, with no abstentions.
That figure, however, was incorrect. Following an inquiry from the CDU and "after re-examining the records," the mayor has now acknowledged in writing that there were in fact 38 votes in favor.
For the CDU, this one-vote discrepancy carries major political weight. After the session, the party faced sharp criticism for pushing through its motion with the AfD's backing.
It now emphasizes that a majority would have been possible even without the AfD's six votes: "This corrected result has a crucial political implication," the CDU faction stated in a press release published Thursday. "Contrary to the public debate sparked by the erroneous announcement, the AfD's votes were not in fact decisive for the majority."
The CDU's 29 votes, combined with two from Frank Samirae's Bürgerpartei and the vote of independent councilor Benno Nuding, total 32—one more than the opposition's count. That would constitute a slim majority—but only on the condition that all AfD members had abstained.
In its Thursday press release, the CDU asserted: "The incorrect presentation of the vote result triggered an intense public and media debate based on false premises. This has unnecessarily escalated political tensions in Bergisch Gladbach."
The party has derived a series of questions and demands for Mayor Kreutz from the correction:
"When and how will the public be fully informed of the corrected vote result?
What steps will the mayor take to rectify the misunderstandings and political tensions that have arisen?
How will the mayor ensure that vote results are accurately communicated in future council sessions?"
Update: On Friday morning, the city administration responded to some of the editorial team's questions (and, indirectly, some of the CDU's). According to the statement, discrepancies were identified between the orally announced vote count and the official record while preparing the minutes. The corrected result will be announced verbally at the start of the next council meeting. No further measures "to reduce political tensions" are currently planned, nor does Mayor Marcel Kreutz see a need for additional political commentary.
Regardless, the CDU used its press release to reaffirm its stance on the AfD:
"Fundamentally, this makes one thing clear: Vote outcomes in democratic bodies are unpredictable and reflect the free decisions of elected representatives.
Even though the AfD's votes were not ultimately decisive, the CDU faction reiterates its position: It explicitly rejects any cooperation with the AfD.
A substantively correct motion does not become wrong simply because the wrong people support it. We endanger our democratic culture if we allow ourselves to be intimidated by potential voting alliances."
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