The municipality of Midden-Drenthe fears that the cuts that it did not have to make last year will still have to be implemented after 2026. This is evident from the budget. The municipality will have a financial gap of 900,000 from next year.
“We are concerned about that,” says councilor Rieja Raven (PvdA-GroenLinks). According to the councilor, the municipality has no prospect of additional money from The Hague. This makes investments and long-term plans uncertain.
Last year the municipality was in the same boat. Because the municipality received less money from The Hague, it faced major challenges. The municipality had a deficit of 2.3 million euros and wanted to find that money from the municipal organization, youth care, welfare work and sports. Some cultural organizations would also be cut, such as the Museum of Paper Cutting.
Ultimately, The Hague provided additional money for municipalities, allowing a large number of cuts with a social impact to be wiped off the table. The cuts that remained in place included some facilities at the town hall, such as free meals for civil servants and less maintenance of cemeteries. The maintenance of roadsides is also decreasing.
Although the municipality was helped out, it was not given any long-term prospects. This leaves a deficit of 9 tonnes from 2026. “The proposals we still have in the bag are not enough to solve the shortage,” says councilor Raven. “Anyone who can do math can see that.”
“As a result, we have no continuity with the municipality on major issues,” adds Mayor Jan Zwiers. He points to the theme of resilience, which, according to him, The Hague is talking about, but for which the municipality itself must contribute money. “That happens in all kinds of areas. As a result, there is no clarity about what you can and cannot do.”
As an example, Raven cites the condition of school buildings and sports facilities, which require significant investments from municipalities. “You cannot make enough of these investments at the moment. Midden-Drenthe is not unique in this, this is an issue in many municipalities.”
Midden-Drenthe continues to focus on the topics of housing, services and sustainability. How the municipality wants to solve the shortages after 2026 will be left to the next council. Various proposals are being developed behind the scenes. Raven: “The timing of the elections means that we are not making an advance. We will leave that to the new council.”