## Notes from 23 January 2026 [[2026-01-22|← Previous note]] ┃ [[2026-01-24|Next note →]] While in Brazil a mayoral seat is often a highly coveted position with significant financial and political rewards, many German towns are facing a "vacancy crisis" because the role is treated as an honorary civic duty. A [Behörden Spiegel](https://www.behoerden-spiegel.de/2025/11/03/leere-amtsstuben/) report reveals that hundreds of municipalities lack candidates due to suffocating bureaucracy and symbolic pay; in Rhineland-Palatinate, a mayor might earn just **€1,988 gross**, which fails to compete with private-sector salaries. This has paralyzed community life in villages like Würzweiler, where local governance has effectively ceased because no one will risk the personal liability for such low stakes. Even more interesting are the solutions that some cities have had to come up with. Towns like Rengsdorf are pioneering "**shared leadership**", splitting executive duties among a team to make the workload more sustainable. While this "job sharing" model brings a fresh "drive" to administration, I would say its success relies on exhaustive alignment between partners.