City's action regarding financial accounts
In a recent development, the council of Menden, Germany, has acknowledged irregularities in the calculation and payment of loss of earnings compensation dating back to previous council periods. The revelation was made in April 2024, prompting a thorough investigation.
Mayor Dr. Roland Schröder has confirmed the reports by Westfalenpost about improper payments made to council members and honorary citizens. In a statement, Schröder expressed his regret for the errors in the administration and apologised for the oversight.
The local audit department found irregularities in the system, which has been in existence for years. The administration, however, strongly rejects the impression that they made corresponding documents available for viewing in the Westfalenpost article of August 11.
The administration has since examined each case in detail together with the local audit department and requested and reassessed any necessary information. As a result, 42 individuals have been identified, for whom 24 recovery notices have been issued, with 5 being partial recovery notices.
A total of 92,053.15 euros has been demanded back through recovery notices. However, due to mostly missing records, some cases have been returned to the mayor's office for examination. No final statement can yet be made about the total recovery amount, but it could potentially reach around 134,000 euros.
In response to the issue, an information event has been announced for local politicians regarding the matter. Additionally, a event for the new council members and honorary citizens in October has been scheduled to inform them about the legally secure handling of loss of earnings payments.
It is important to note that the search results do not contain any information regarding an accounting affair involving improperly paid compensation to council members and honorary citizens in Menden, Germany, nor about any expected repayment amounts related to such a case.
As of August 2025, there is no publicly available or reported update on this specific issue. For detailed and up-to-date information, it is recommended to consult official Menden municipal sources, local German news outlets, or government transparency portals.
