Citizens' meeting in Polling: focus on wind power, traffic and budget plans

Citizens' meeting in Polling: focus on wind power, traffic and budget plans

The second citizens' meeting 2025 took place in Polling on November 26th, with around 70 citizens attending. Mayor Lorenz Kronberger and District Administrator Max Heimerl took three hours to answer the questions of those present. The topics were diverse and ranged from wind power projects to traffic problems to flood concerns from the newly built Hirschbach Bridge.

A central concern was the discussion about wind turbines. It became clear that citizen participation is currently perceived as insufficient because the municipality is not a member of the district council. This could have a negative impact on the financial benefits that can arise from the municipal tax of up to 0.2 cents per kilowatt hour fed in. As a rule, only the communities within a radius of 2.5 kilometers around the systems benefit from this tax, which, according to Statkraft, can be used to finance local projects in the areas of infrastructure and education.

Budget and infrastructure

Kronberger also informed those present about the budget for 2024, which has a volume of around 10 million euros. A solid source of income should be the trade tax at around 2 million euros and the income tax, which is estimated at 2.5 million euros. The expenses are planned, among other things, for personnel costs (1.6 million euros) and for the daycare center (1 million euros). Despite a population of 3,381, which has increased slightly, the community remains burdened with debts of 950,872 euros. The adjusted reserves amount to 6.5 million euros.

A notable project is the extension to the crèche, which at 1.45 million euros turned out to be 200,000 euros cheaper than previously estimated. The fiber optic expansion, which is valued at around 6 million euros and is over 90% funded, could also be important for many households, as 340 cover letters are already on the table.

Development plans and traffic problems

During the meeting, attention was also drawn to the Annabrunn development plan, which has legal deficiencies. The local council is planning a change procedure to address the district office's concerns. On the other hand, the “Ziegelbreite” development plan, whose draft plans were approved by the local council on October 30, 2025, is more positive. The public display runs until December 11th, and feedback can be sent directly to the building authority.

Traffic problems are particularly stressful for residents of Polling and Oberflossing. There are strong concerns about speeders and rough traffic situations. Citizens called for proposals for a 30 km/h speed limit and further traffic calming measures. Concerns about the flood situation caused by the new Hirschbach Bridge were also loudly expressed, particularly with regard to the culvert height and the flood calculations made.

Despite the multitude of challenges and topics raised at the citizens' meeting, the outlook remains optimistic. The municipality sees the citizens' commitment as an important signal and is open to further discussions in order to best take the concerns of the population into account.