Dr. Wieland Gsell, as mayoral candidate for the Greens, won in the runoff election on 16 March2008 with 51.1% of the vote, beating the incumbent CSU candidate Karl Mühlbauer. Gsell was reelected in 2014. Municipal taxes in 1999 amounted to €2,706,000, of which net business taxes amounted to €395,000.
The community's arms might be described thus: Per fess, in chief argent the letter Z moline gules, in base per pale, dexter dancetty of three of the second and first, sinister azure a bend of the first surmounted by three annulets of the field in bend. The red Z was taken from Zellingen's old court seal, which is known from a print made in 1691. The two designs in the escutcheon's lower half are drawn from arms formerly borne by the old community of Retzbach and granted by Prince-Bishop of WürzburgJulius Echter von Mespelbrunn in 1586. The design on the sinister side with the bend overlaid with three rings was the Prince-Bishop's personal arms. Together with the design on the dexter side, the three silver points on red, known as the "Franconian rake", the arms refer to the community's former lords. The arms have been borne since 1982. Another source shows quite a different coat of arms, which might be blazoned thus: Gules Saint George in armour azure on a horse springing argent thrusting a lance Or into a dragon's mouth and through its throat, the dragon in base of the third and supine, in chief sinister an inescutcheon of the third with the letter Z moline of the field. Saints George and Sebastian are the community's patron saints; even the two kindergartens are named for them.
Economy and infrastructure
According to official statistics, there were 264 workers on the social welfare contribution rolls working in producing businesses in 1998. In trade and transport this was 0. In other areas, 358 workers on the social welfare contribution rolls were employed, and 2,199 such workers worked from home. There were 0 processing businesses. Four businesses were in construction, and furthermore, in 1999, there were 111 agricultural operations with a working area of 1 212 ha, of which 1 102 ha was cropland and 52 ha was meadowland.
Transport
The Hanover-Würzburg high-speed rail line crosses through the market community's municipal area, going through the Hohe-Wart-Tunnel and across the Bartelsgrabentalbrücke, a 1 160 m-long bridge.
Religion
In Zellingen stand the following houses of worship:
Saint George's Parish Church, formerly a castle belonging to the Prince-Bishop of Greiffenklau
Maria Hilf Kapelle with candleholder by the Scapular Confraternity
Saint Theresa's Hall Chapel on the Kirchberg
Education
In 1999 the following institutions existed in Zellingen:
Kindergartens: 300 places with 268 children
Primary schools: 2 with 35 teachers and 701 pupils
