Sorger elected Leobersdorf mayor and seeks financial review

Harald Sorger of the Leobersdorf Jetzt list was elected mayor of Leobersdorf with 15 of 28 votes on Thursday evening, ORF reported. He says he has requested an external review of the municipality’s finances from the state of Lower Austria.

Sorger said the review would give him and all parties represented on the municipal council a shared understanding of the finances. He also plans to examine outstanding questions and projects related to land-use zoning and has requested a traffic assessment.

He succeeds Andreas Ramharter of the Leobersdorf Zukunft list, who had been mayor since 2012. Ramharter resigned last week after attracting media attention, including over land-use zoning decisions.

Sorger said a working agreement with other parties was unlikely. He said the immediate priority was to establish clarity about the municipality’s current situation, particularly its finances.