Brixental tourism association ousts chair after Kirchberg dispute

The Brixental tourism association has removed its chairman, Wilhelm Steindl, after opposition to his plan to hold a vote on transferring the municipality of Kirchberg to the Kitzbühel tourism association, ORF Tirol reported.

Steindl had invited members to a general meeting on October 12, where they were due to vote on the proposed change. The issue had emerged during cooperation talks with the Kitzbühel tourism association, according to an internal letter Steindl sent to members.

Kirchberg’s local committee, which Steindl also chaired until Tuesday, had already unanimously backed the proposal in principle. However, officials from the other two member municipalities, Brixen and Westendorf, opposed his approach.

In their own letter to members, Steindl’s two deputies and the supervisory board members accused him of acting alone on one of the association’s most far-reaching structural decisions. They said Kitzbühel Tourism had indicated that no concrete merger talks, models or draft agreements existed.

They also criticised Steindl for presenting 11 specific key points, covering the separation of Kirchberg, property, employees, existing contracts, the local accommodation tax and the levy rate. The proposed change was reportedly intended to take effect on January 1, 2027.

Steindl said he had deliberately sought to start a democratic process and allow the general meeting to decide. He said a vote was not legally required but reflected his democratic principles. The issue had been discussed for decades, he said, adding that Kirchberg had long wanted to join Kitzbühel because of shared tourism interests, including a cable-car company.

After several days of debate, the supervisory board voted Steindl out at a meeting on Tuesday. He had taken over as chairman only in November 2025.

Julia Mingler-Haueis, the former chairwoman of the supervisory board, will replace him on an interim basis. She will also temporarily lead Kirchberg’s local committee. Mingler-Haueis said she would work to restore orderly structures and create long-term prospects for the entire Brixental region.

Steindl described his removal as radical but said he accepted the decision. In his view, it did not resolve the underlying question of a possible territorial change. The October 12 general meeting and its planned vote on whether Kirchberg should remain in the Brixental tourism association or leave it are still scheduled to take place.