Residents of Opmeer will notice that almost everything will become more expensive next year. Municipal taxes will increase considerably, much more than in other West Frisian municipalities. But you will also pay more for your driver’s license, applying for a passport or a funeral. “Opmeer is a small, but still independent municipality. A lot of money is needed to maintain the high level of facilities.”
While in other West Frisian municipalities taxes sometimes increase by a few euros, or sometimes even decrease, this does not happen in Opmeer. It has been decided to pass on the inflation of 7.1 percent. The waste tax in this municipality will even increase by 8 percent.
Taxes could have been even more expensive
A single-person household will therefore pay 25 euros more per year. A multi-person household must pay 34 euros more than now, which amounts to 459.45 euros. It is the highest rate of all municipalities.
And then Opmeer is still 64,000 euros short to cover the waste costs. “If we were to make it cost-effective, the waste levy would actually have to increase by 11 percent. But in order not to burden citizens too heavily, we opted for 8 percent,” a municipal spokesperson explains.
Average family costs more than 130 euros more
Depending on the tax, this amounts to a few euros, but sometimes even tens of euros per year. A calculation. Suppose you have a family (average income) with a dog and a house with an average WOZ value. Then you will pay 1,160.19 euros per year, more than 130 euros more than now. In other words, an increase of 13 percent.
And it’s not just taxes that are rising. A funeral in Opmeer is almost 60 euros more expensive. But burial rights for, for example, 20 years also increase by 66 euros. And you also have to pay more to apply for a passport or driver’s license. Although it must be said that this applies to all municipalities.
‘We have no choice’
Municipalities must contribute more to various partnerships, such as the GGD, Safety Region or WerkSaam. Opmeer therefore says he has no choice but to also implement these increases in municipal taxes. “These joint arrangements will have been charged 7.1 percent more to the municipalities in 2024. In order to continue to pay these and other costs now and in the future, it has been decided to apply this percentage as an inflation correction.”