Once again we look at a Lower Austrian community whose local leader would have benefited from the repurposing. He considers his business “morally justified.” The municipal supervisor is now investigating the real estate deal.
Not only Alfred Riedl, former chairman of the municipal association and mayor of Grafenwörth in the Krems district, would have benefited enormously from the repurposing and sale of land. It has now also become known that Günter Schaubach (ÖVP), mayor of the municipality of Pyhra in the St. Pölten district, is said to have earned a lot of money from the purchase, repurposing and sale of a property.
“Moral acceptable”
The local boss in “ZiB 2” considered his real estate transactions “morally justified.” He emphasizes that his benchmark is whether his transactions take place with the “necessary distance” from his office.
The politician owns properties throughout Pyhra. He bought these from citizens, especially the elderly, but also from the community itself. But a very specific repurposing would have made Schaubach a lot of money.
The repurposing had previously failed due to the actions of the municipality
The local boss bought a 2,500 square meter site from gas station operators. One of the two directors, Franz Marchat, a former FPÖ politician, confirmed to the media that they wanted to sell the building and that an application for a higher building class from the municipality had failed.
The entrepreneurs ultimately sold the area to Schaubach for 373,900 euros. Just two months later, the municipality converted part of the building into building class 3. The local leader left the room as the vote took place. The NEOS abstained from voting, the other representatives agreed. Buildings up to eleven meters and four stories high could now be built on the site.
A year has passed. Mayor Schaubach sold the building for 596,000 euros to a project developer who was initially interested. Before taxes and fees, Schaubach is said to have earned 222,100 euros.
Amount donated to the parish
According to the ÖVP politician, the amount was only 124,000 euros. Of this, only 40,000 euros can be attributed to the increase in value as a result of the repurposing. He donated this amount to the local parish. “The rest was a win, I stand by that,” says Schaubach.
According to media reports, the municipal supervisor has now started an investigation into the matter.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
