Salzburg city will cover 21,000-euro caretaker severance bill

The city of Salzburg will cover a severance payment for a long-serving building caretaker that would otherwise have cost residents of a municipal housing complex in Liefering between 700 and 1,500 euros per apartment, Salzburg ORF reported.

The total charge would have exceeded 21,000 euros and been collected through higher operating costs, Deputy Mayor Kay-Michael Dankl of the KPÖ said. The payment concerns a caretaker who was employed for many years under the former legal framework.

Dankl said it would be unfair for the residents living in the complex when the caretaker retired to bear the cost. The city plans to use reserves from rental income to cover the payment.

The city also plans to introduce a new model for building caretakers next year. The role was abolished in Austria around 25 years ago.

“Especially in large housing complexes, it is important to have a fixed contact person on site rather than only changing external companies,” Dankl said.

Under the planned model, staff would take on selected building-maintenance tasks and serve as permanent contacts for residents. Pilot projects are planned for housing complexes in Elisabeth-Vorstadt, Lehen and Liefering.

The city will assess after two to three years whether the new caretakers also help reduce operating costs.