For the time being, the finances of the municipality of De Wolden are still going well, but there are concerns for the longer term. Next year there will be a little bit of money left over, in 2025 even a million. After that, things look gloomier. This is evident from an explanation of the municipal council on the budget.
They are proud of it. The four aldermen and mayor of De Wolden. A smile appears on the face of alderman Egbert van Dijk. “It’s a third of normal thickness,” he says with satisfaction. “We have removed all unnecessary information. And it is all written in understandable language, so everyone can simply read it.”
No, it’s not about a book. Although. It doesn’t matter much. No, Egbert van Dijk is talking about the ‘framework note’. That is an official word for an overview of what the municipality is committed to over the next four years and what the finances are like.
“We write a small plus”, says Van Dijk. Even simpler: Next year De Wolden expects to have 25,750 euros left over. The figures will also be positive in 2025: with a surplus of just under a million. But then. The expectation for 2026 is two million shortfalls, for 2027 more than 1.7 million shortfalls.
2026 is called the ravine year. In that case, municipalities and provinces will receive less money from the central government. “That is not possible,” says Van Dijk. “We don’t believe it’s going to happen either.”
If everything remains as it seems to be now, the financial alderman certainly does not rule out cutbacks. Together with mayor Inge Nieuwenhuizen, he is happy to point out that this is not the case now. “There will be no additional tax increase for residents this year,” they shout in unison. It has been agreed that the property tax will be increased by 2.5 percent every year. That continues. “But there will be no additional increase on top.” Because of the small 25,000 euros that will remain next year, this is not necessary.
If 25,000 euros remain. In May or June, the national government will announce how much money will go to the municipalities. That can only be less, or more, than is currently expected.
Quite a lot, because around 4.5 million euros in room for maneuver have been reserved for the coming years. So time for a very short overview.
For a complete overview of the plans, the aldermen refer to that ‘framework memorandum’. Egbert van Dijk holds him. He makes the comparison with his fingers. “It was always that thick”, while there is still quite a bit of space between his thumb and the 56-page document. “We are not cheering, but we are satisfied.”