No to drastic regional reforms: Ausserrhoden rejects mega-merger

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The voters of Appenzell Ausserrhoden have spoken out in favor of facilitating municipal mergers. The government’s more radical proposal for structural reforms did not find a majority.

During the cantonal referendum in Appenzell Ausserrhoden, voters decided to change the constitution on Sunday. The canton’s twenty municipalities are no longer mentioned by name in the canton’s constitution. This will make community mergers easier in the future. Until now, such measures required a cantonal referendum.

With their decision, the residents of Ausserrhoden supported a contingent motion of the cantonal parliament for the now withdrawn popular initiative ‘Strong Ausserrhoden communities’. 10,849 voters supported this proposal with a turnout of 46.5 percent.

No mega merger

Against this was the proposal for a more drastic reform of community structures, based on the example of the Canton of Glarus. This reform proposed by the cantonal government was supported by 7,024 voters. So she did not find a majority.

Accordingly, the previous twenty communities should have been reduced to three to five communities in the canton. The main arguments were that an answer could be given to the current challenges of a shortage of skilled personnel in administration, vacant municipal council seats or digitalization.

The currently 20 municipalities in Appenzell Ausserrhoden have existed in this form for 274 years. (SDA)

Source:Blick