According to the initiators, the existing association statute of the Reformed City Association of Winterthur is getting on in years. It no longer meets the cantonal requirements and does not meet the current challenges.
The aim of the new association statute is to facilitate cooperation between the Evangelical-Reformed parishes in Winterthur. The municipal association will be strengthened in order to relieve the municipalities of administrative tasks. The new Commission for Development and Cooperation (KEZ) creates a simplified way of tackling projects of city-wide importance across municipalities.
Pro
The new association statute creates the basis for simplified cooperation between the Reformed parishes in Winterthur, while maintaining the independence of the parishes. The secretariat of the city association will be expanded to a reasonable extent so that the parishes can be given more support and relieved of administrative work. The goals of the policy decision from 2020 will be implemented and the statute will be adapted to the current legal framework.
Contra
On the one hand, during the consultation it was criticized that the centralization of the present statute went too far and excessively restricted the parishes in their autonomy. Another point of criticism is the expansion of the secretariat of the city association provided for in the statute and the associated increasing costs. On the other hand, the statute is not visionary enough for some of the church members, since the cooperation between the church communities remains largely voluntary.
voting recommendations
The association board, the audit commission, the central church administration and the church administrations of all seven association communities recommend voting yes.
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