 Gerhard Büchling (independent) was elected mayor on 6 March 1994 with 52.9% of the vote, and reëlected on 7 November 1999 with 66.8% of the vote.The office was taken over by Karl-Heinz Schäfer (SPD), who was elected on 22 September 2002 with 67.5% of the vote, and reëlected on 1 June 2008 with 56.1% of the vote.The town's arms might be described thus