Storm over Landrat's Hotel Bill - District administrator under fire for €2,600 hotel and €225 dinner expenses
District Administrator Stefan Sternberg has faced scrutiny over expenses linked to a 2023 conference trip. A hotel bill for two rooms over three nights exceeded €2,000, while a dinner costing over €225 was also charged to public funds. Critics have questioned whether the spending was necessary. The expenses arose during the 2023 Annual Congress of the Local Government Association for Administrative Management. Two rooms were booked at short notice for Sternberg and an employee, costing nearly €2,600 according to NDR—though the district administration later stated the figure was €2,200. Three other rooms, booked in advance, totalled €1,500.
The German Taxpayers’ Association criticised the stays as 'luxury overnight accommodations'. Sternberg defended the costs, arguing no cheaper or suitable alternatives were available at the time. He also expensed a dinner for over €225, covering it from his discretionary funds as part of an investor meeting.
The district administration rejected the criticism outright. Officials insisted the spending was justified for an official trip and followed proper procedures. The total hotel bill for the two last-minute rooms remained a point of dispute, with reports differing by €400. Sternberg’s dinner expense, paid from discretionary funds, was tied to an investor event. The district maintains that all costs were appropriate for the circumstances.
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