Following an alcohol-related incident, Mayor of Hof, a town near Salzburg, steps down from office.

Following an alcohol-related incident, Mayor of Hof, a town near Salzburg, steps down from office.

In a shocking turn of events, Thomas Ließ, the mayor of Hof bei Salzburg in the Salzburg region of Austria, has announced his resignation on August 11, 2025, following a drunk driving incident [1].

On Sunday, the 59-year-old mayor was involved in an accident where he collided with two oncoming vehicles around 5 p.m. [1]. According to reports, Thomas Ließ had 1.3 promille of alcohol in his system at the time of the accident and will be charged [1]. Fortunately, no injuries were reported in the incident.

The Salzburg ÖVP announced the mayor's resignation in a statement on Monday afternoon [2]. The mayor himself took responsibility for the accident and has stepped down effective by the end of this week [2].

Thomas Ließ, who won the 2024 mayoral elections with 60.1 percent of the votes, had previously caused controversy on several occasions [3]. In November 2020, despite being a contact-1 person due to a coronavirus infection in his family, he attended a municipal council meeting [4].

District Party Chairman Josef Schöchl has agreed to a new candidate for the mayoral position [5]. However, it is unclear if a by-election or direct mayoral election will be held to replace Thomas Ließ [1]. Typically, in Austria, a mayoral vacancy can lead to a by-election or appointment depending on local regulations, but exact procedures and timing must be confirmed by official Salzburg municipal sources.

This incident marks a significant turn in the political landscape of Hof bei Salzburg, a small town in the picturesque Salzburg region. The exact details of the upcoming mayoral election, if any, are yet to be announced.

[1] - [Source for the first paragraph] [2] - [Source for the second and third paragraphs] [3] - [Source for the fourth paragraph] [4] - [Source for the fifth paragraph] [5] - [Source for the sixth and seventh paragraphs]

1. The general-news and politics in Hof bei Salzburg have been rocked following the resignation of the mayor, Thomas Ließ, due to a drunk driving incident, with the Salzburg ÖVP announcing his stepping down on Monday afternoon.
2. Although a crime-and-justice case, the collision involving Mayor Thomas Ließ, which occurred on Sunday, did not result in any injuries, with the mayor taking responsibility for the accident and agreeing to step down by the end of the week.

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