"We want to make the whole thing as simple and unbureaucratic as possible for the people in the district," says District Administrator Dietmar Allgaier, explaining the decision, which was made by a resolution of the district council's committee for the environment and technology. This means that if the Mannheim Administrative Court comes to the conclusion that the district's waste fee calculation must be carried out differently, this could result in the fee payers being entitled to a refund. With the decision of the district council committee, this now applies to everyone. Consequently, there is no need to lodge an objection.
The background to the judicial review is the question of the extent to which the costs for the aftercare of landfill sites must be included in the calculation of waste fees. The district administration is of the opinion that this is mandatory for legal reasons in Baden-Württemberg. A citizens' initiative disputes this and has filed a lawsuit. "We are still certain that the costs for the aftercare of landfill sites must be fully included in the fee budget. Even if we can understand that this may seem like a bitter pill to swallow to some," explains Dr. Christian Sußner, who is also responsible for calculating waste fees at the district administration office in his role as Head of the Environment and Technology Department. A legal challenge against this procedure is legitimate in our constitutional state, even if the district administration is calmly awaiting a verdict.
