On Friday 22 April 2022, Luxembourg's government council approved the introduction into procedure of the draft bill to merge the municipalities of Grosbous and Wahl.
The new municipality, called "Groussbus-Wal", will come into being on 1 September 2023, subject to the vote of the bill by the Chamber of Deputies, and have its headquarters in Grosbous. This merge of two municipalities will bring the number of municipalities in Luxembourg to 101.
The new municipality will have approximately 2,200 inhabitants. According to the merger agreement and by temporary derogation from municipal law, the number of municipal councilors will be increased to twelve instead of nine and the college of mayors and aldermen will be composed of one mayor and three aldermen, i.e. four members instead of three. Thus, each merged municipality will be entitled to two members within the college of mayors and aldermen.
The composition of the organs of the municipality will be brought into line with municipal law during the full renewal of the municipal councils following the municipal elections of 2029. The first municipal council of the municipality of Groussbus-Wal will be constituted following the municipal elections of 11 June 2023, organised according to the relative majority system, and will remain in place at least until the full renewal of the municipal council in 2035.
The merger of the municipalities of Grosbous and Wahl will be accompanied by special state aid amounting to approximately €4.8 million, from the Municipal Reform Fund which is supplied by credits entered in the budget of the Ministry of the Interior. The special financial aid will be liquidated in installments over a period of five years, starting from 1 September 2023, and is intended to reduce the borrowings of the new municipality and to carry out the projects selected in the multi-annual financing plans.
The Minister of the Interior, Taina Bofferding, underlined: “We encourage the process of mergers of municipalities and we insist on the principle of voluntary merger.” Minister Bofferding also highlighted the political courage of municipal officials who have take such an initiative.
