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About four weeks after the initiation of a recall procedure against the mayor of the municipality Sylt, Nikolas Häckel, the mayors of the other four municipalities have also publicly spoken out in favor of his recall. "Mr. Häckel had nine years to create clear structures, but this 'basic administration' is still not visible," write the four mayors from the municipalities of List, Kampen, Wenningstedt-Braderup, and Hörnum. They welcome the step taken by the municipality of Sylt to initiate a recall procedure. Previously, the "Sylter Rundschau" had reported on this.
In their letter, they call upon the citizens of the North Sea island to vote on September 29 to "free up the path for a new appointment of this crucial position for the island."
Criticism of Häckel's leadership on Sylt
Talks with the head of the island administration in the past had been unsuccessful, according to Kampen's mayor Stefanie Böhm and the three mayors Ronald Benck (List), Udo Hanrieder (Hörnum), and Kai Müller (Wenningstedt-Braderup). They cite the lack of budget plans on the holiday island, for which they partly blame the independent Häckel: "Housing construction for islanders is progressing slowly, our roads cannot be renewed, the expansion of cycling paths is stagnating, and the harbor in Hörnum is increasingly decaying." Recently, neither apartments nor playgrounds could be built.
Disturbed relationship of trust
Moreover, structures within the administration were lacking or opaque. "The basic understanding of who is responsible for which tasks and where the responsibilities lie is largely absent." Häckel is not fulfilling his duty as island administrator. Communication attempts, including coaching, had failed because they were "regularly interrupted by the administrative director."
"We see no possibility left to heal the disturbed relationship of trust between us, the local authorities, and the administrative director," it says in the letters.
Häckel is not only the mayor of the municipality Sylt but also the head of the island administration and thus responsible for the administration of the municipalities belonging to the Amt Landschaft Sylt - namely List, Kampen, Wenningstedt-Braderup, and Hörnum.
Citizens vote on September 29
On July 18, the municipal representatives voted in the town hall in Westerland for a recall procedure against the mayor of the municipality Sylt. The citizens of the municipality Sylt will decide on the recall itself on September 29.
Häckel has been on sick leave since February. In summer 2023, the 50-year-old could not perform his duties for several weeks - he was on sick leave due to a stress-induced mental illness, the municipality of Sylt announced on its homepage at the time.
At the end of June, it became known that the full-time Sylt mayor wants to return to the top seat in the town hall in Westerland despite his illness. Häckel has been leading the administration on the North Sea island since 2015. He is currently being represented by his deputy, Carsten Kerkamm (CDU).
The mayors from The Office of List, Kampen, Wenningstedt-Braderup, and Hörnum, all part of The Office of Landschaft Sylt, found it necessary to echo the recall procedure initiated against Mayor Nikolas Häckel of Sylt. They appreciate the move, citing their shared discontent with the slow progress and lack of clear structures under Häckel's leadership.
Motivated by their concerns, the mayors of these municipalities encourage the citizens of Sylt to participate in the upcoming vote on September 29, with the hope of facilitating a new appointment for this crucial position on their North Sea island.
