Mayor's statement regarding reporting in the Volksfreund newspaper

Last week, an article appeared in the "Trierischer Volksfreund" with the headline: " Is Konz too ugly to be protected from billboards? appeared.

The mayor of the city of Konz, Guido Wacht, commented as follows:

"The article about the decision of the Higher Administrative Court of Rhineland-Palatinate contains a pointed interpretation that I cannot let stand."

The court did not find that Konz was "ugly" or even "too ugly" to be protected. This wording appears nowhere in the judgment. It is a journalistic exaggeration designed to generate attention but does not accurately reflect the content of the decision.

The Higher Administrative Court assessed only the legal requirements of our advertising regulations. It concluded that, within the area covered by the regulations, there were no sufficiently homogeneous and coherent urban structures worthy of protection to justify the far-reaching provisions of the regulations in force at the time. This is a legal assessment – not a judgment on the attractiveness or quality of life of our city.

I believe it's important to make this distinction clear. Reducing Konz to the statement that the town is "ugly" does our home no justice whatsoever. Our town is characterized by its unique location on the Saar and Moselle rivers, its vibrant neighborhoods, its history, its natural surroundings, its clubs and associations, and above all, by the people who live here. Konz is diverse and a wonderful place to live.

Naturally, we take the court's decision seriously. Therefore, we are already working on a new, legally sound advertising regulations that comply with legal requirements and simultaneously aim to manage advertising in a way that is compatible with urban planning.

A factual discussion of the development of our city is important and expressly welcome. However, it should be based on the court's factual findings and not on formulations that, while emotionally charged, do not reflect the content of the judgment.

I am convinced that Konz is a city with a high quality of life. In addition to its current strengths, it possesses numerous opportunities that we intend to strategically utilize in the coming years. Together with the city council and the administration, we will continue to work to preserve these qualities and to develop our city responsibly.