The District Administration – Responsibilities, Administrative Organisation
The District Administration has a dual role: it is an authority of the administrative district (Kreisbehörde) and a lower-level administrative authority for the state (Staatsbehörde). The District Administrator has sole competence in respect of the lower-level state authority. For the duties of the administrative district authority, the responsibility lies with the District Council.
The District Administration as an administrative district authority
- Social affairs; youth welfare
- School education (for the schools maintained by the district: vocational schools, special education and counselling centres)
- Waste management
- Public transport
- Business development
- District financing
- Hospitals (the administrative district’s three hospitals are part of ADK GmbH für Gesundheit und Soziales)
The District Administration as a lower-level administrative authority for the state
- Authority for granting building permits
- Road traffic authority (e.g. motor vehicle registration, driving licences)
- District police authority (e.g. responsible for restaurants and industrial law; not to be confused with the police units given executive powers)
- Environmental protection (e.g. nature conservation, emission control, water law)
- Legal supervision of municipalities
- Healthcare services
- Veterinary matters and consumer protection
- Expert divisions for agriculture and forestry
- Land surveying and consolidation
- Road building management