Heinrich Kammacher Leaves Kirchdorf as Debt-Free Municipality

A Debt-Free Exit After Decades at the Helm

Heinrich Kammacher is stepping down as mayor of the Samtgemeinde Kirchdorf in Germany, leaving office as one of only ten debt-free municipalities in Lower Saxony after leading the local administration through multi-million-euro deficits and infrastructure overhauls since 2001.

Kirchdorf Prioritizes Hazardous School Repairs over Fire Stations

When Heinrich Kammacher took over the leadership of the Samtgemeinde Kirchdorf in 2001, the municipality faced a multi-million-euro funding gap alongside aging infrastructure. Fire stations required immediate modernization, and local school buildings were contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB). Facing strict financial constraints, the administration prioritized resolving the hazardous school conditions before addressing emergency response facilities. Local leaders collaborated across political lines, abandoning partisan disputes to coordinate the recovery. Die Situation hat dazu geführt, dass wir zusammengefunden haben, Heinrich Kammacher recalls. Over the years, the red notebook he always kept nearby to jot down ideas and names has shrunk to DIN A6 format as tasks were completed, with contact numbers now saved in his mobile phone.

Kammacher Applies Fiscal Experience from Barenburg

Kammacher brought prior experience from the municipality of Barenburg, where he served as mayor for 16 years starting in 1988, after initially entering the Kirchdorfer Rathaus as a farmer and innkeeper who first became active in the school parents’ council. When municipal politicians had previously failed to listen, he ran for office and was elected to the Barenburg municipal council in 1981, eventually stepping into the mayoral role following the sudden death of Kurt Kothrade. Barenburg had carried heavy debt when he took office, requiring a six-year fiscal consolidation process based on professional guidance and conservative reserve policies. That experience established a local governance standard: maintaining a full year’s trade tax revenue in reserve to buffer against sudden corporate tax refunds.

Passing the Torch to Gerd Kemmann

As Kammacher departs the Kirchdorfer Rathaus, Gerd Kemmann assumes the responsibilities of Samtgemeindebürgermeister. The administrative handoff marks the completion of the primary infrastructure and sanitization initiatives across the six member municipalities, including updated facilities and vehicle fleets for local fire services. Municipal leaders have also finalized joint infrastructure projects, such as starting construction on a shared new house in Holzhausen and Bahrenborstel.

Kemmann Takes over Debt-Free Administration

He emphasized that financial reserves must remain balanced, cautioning that excess funds can invite curious thoughts. Kemmann takes over administration of the debt-free Samtgemeinde effective Monday, continuing a to-do list that Kammacher has long since crossed out as he leaves behind a good team and six member municipalities that are in pretty good shape.