Exceptional situation: Resignation request must prevent two mayors on Terschelling

As mayor, Van de Pol would exchange Terschelling for Castricum. This became known in mid-December during a council meeting in which she herself was under fire. At the end of that meeting, the municipal council withdrew its confidence in Van de Pol as mayor, who had already left the meeting.

King’s Commissioner Arno Brok, in consultation with the municipal council, sent Van de Pol on leave until March 28, the day she would start working in Castricum. Roel Cazemier was quickly appointed as acting mayor and has been in office as such for almost two months. However, Van de Pol resigned from the mayoral post in Castricum at the beginning of February due to health reasons.

The dismissal request indicates that Van de Pol himself has not submitted a resignation. However, no one wants to confirm that. According to Cazemier, the motion that was adopted council-wide on Wednesday evening has a legal background. This is necessary to promote Van de Pol’s dismissal, he says. “There is irreparable trust, that was not sufficiently clear.”

‘This almost never happens’

In the motion adopted on Wednesday, the city council states that they have learned through the press that Van de Pol has withdrawn as a candidate for Castricum and that the council no longer has confidence in further fruitful cooperation, due to an irreparable relationship between mayor and council . The request goes to the Minister of the Interior via the intervention of the Frisian King’s Commissioner.

According to the Dutch Association of Mayors, a mayor can resign at his or her own request. In extreme cases, a municipal council may also submit a recommendation for dismissal. Management advisor Joost Keemink cannot add much to this. In general, he can say that it is very exceptional for a municipal council to make such a request. “Situations like this can be counted on the fingers of one hand. This almost never happens.”