Important Developments in the Rhein-Sieg District – March 2026

Important Developments in March 2026

What was important this month

• Further reconstruction after the 2021 flood: The municipal reconstruction plan has been completed, and the private reconstruction is largely finished. The municipal reconstruction in the most affected cities will continue for several more years.
• Extension of cooperation with the state of North Rhine-Westphalia: The cooperation agreement between the Rhein-Sieg District and the MHKBD has been extended until June 30, 2026.
• New funding structures for regional cooperation: The Rhein-Sieg District, Bonn, Ahrweiler, and Neuwied have approved a new funding distribution for the secretariat of the regional working group.
• Funding for youth support projects: The Youth Welfare Committee has reviewed several grant applications and supports projects such as climbing as therapy or protection against sexual violence.
• Regional cooperation in the transportation sector: The Committee for Planning and Transport is planning joint sessions with the federal city of Bonn to coordinate mobility development.
• Transparency regarding the airport issue: The district council has decided on an independent review of the airport business in Hangelar.

Reconstruction and Flood Protection

In March 2026, the Rhein-Sieg District reached another milestone in the reconstruction following the 2021 floods. The municipal reconstruction plan has been completed, and the private reconstruction is considered largely completed. However, the municipal reconstruction in the more heavily affected cities will continue for several more years.

The district committee also decided to extend the cooperation agreement with the Ministry for Home Affairs, Communities, Construction, and Digitalization (MHKBD) until June 30, 2026. This ensures continued support for reconstruction planning and implementation.

Residents can now apply for up to 82,000 euros for preventive flood protection measures. The total expenditure must be submitted via the online portal unless a change application is submitted.

Financial Planning and Public Transport Contribution

On March 5, 2026, the Committee for Finance, Personnel, and Equality discussed the draft of the revised 2026 budget. It became clear that the public transport sector is burdened with a loss of -75.442 million euros. Compared to the original budget, 9.557 million euros were saved.

A particular issue was the discussion on the basis for calculating the public transport contribution. The city of Sankt Augustin requested that the number of boardings and alightings be used instead of vehicle-kilometers as the basis in the future. This could lead to a fairer distribution of costs in the future.

It was also decided not to reduce the general district levy or the additional district levy for the youth welfare office. The decision on the revised 2026 budget now lies with the district council, which will vote on the proposal on March 12, 2026.

Regional Cooperation and Tourism

The Committee for Economy and Tourism has decided to continue the working group REGIONALE 2025 and has set the number of members at 20. In addition, it was decided to invite Mr. Daniel Letocha, Managing Director of Tourism & Congress GmbH Bonn/Rhein-Sieg/Ahrweiler, to the next meeting.

Another important project is the development of an inter-municipal platform "Wohnen" as a database, funded by the cooperations :rak, K&RN, and S.U.N. The Region Cologne/Bonn e.V. coordinates the cooperation.

The Rhein-Sieg District has also approved the cooperation agreement with the federal city of Bonn, the district of Ahrweiler, and the district of Neuwied. The new regional working group will be known in the future as the "Regional Working Group of the Federal City of Bonn Region" and is defined as a municipal working group.

Youth Welfare and Social Projects

The Youth Welfare Committee has reviewed and approved several grant applications for social projects. The Child Protection Association Sankt Augustin received a personnel cost grant of 20,000 euros, the counseling center against sexual violence requested 3,196.62 euros, and the project "Aufwind" was supported with a total of 49,449.46 euros.

A special project is the association "HOCH-HINAUS – Climbing as Therapy e.V.", which wants to be recognized as a provider of youth welfare services. The target group consists of young people with psychological, social, or neurological impairments. The association currently operates 16 climbing groups with a total of 120 children and young people.

Transparency and Legal Review

The district council has decided to commission the Audit Office of the Rhein-Sieg District to investigate the airport operations in Hangelar. The SPD district council group had argued that the Hangelar Airport Company may have violated applicable regulations. A comprehensive document review was requested.

In addition, the Audit Committee was appointed, which confirmed the closing of the 2025 annual accounts. The audit was unanimous, and no financial irregularities were found.

Outlook

March 2026 was marked by decisions in the areas of reconstruction, financial planning, regional cooperation, and youth welfare. The coming weeks will show how these decisions specifically affect the living conditions of residents. The discussion on the public transport contribution and the development of the regional platform "Wohnen" will be particularly interesting.