The financial situation of the municipality of Hoogeveen is still worrying, but the biggest bumps now seem to be in the past. And that pleases the council of the municipality. So satisfied that more can be invested in the coming years.
Hoogeveen’s piggy bank now contains 26.9 million euros. “Only that is just not enough yet, that really needs to be more,” says alderman for finance Derk Reneman. Still, finances allow for some spending in the coming years. In particular new policy and overdue maintenance. For example, part of the sewer system will be overhauled, new roads and cycle paths will be built and there will be more greenery. The fire station is also in need of replacement.
The municipality has been in a difficult financial situation in recent years. A lot had to be cut back, there was less room to invest. A lot of maintenance was therefore flat. “Now the time has come for us to refurbish roads, cycle paths and other things,” adds alderman Jan Zwiers. “At a certain point you have to intervene, because if you wait too long with maintenance, you will only lose more money.”
The municipality also wants to build a total of 2200 houses in Hoogeveen. That’s where extra money will go. Hoogeveen has already received 14.7 million euros from the government for this. This amount will be used, among other things, to connect the western part of the city center with the station area. In addition, for the arrival of new houses, existing roads will have to be overhauled and the infrastructure will have to be adapted.
Expanding the electricity network is also high on the list. “Not only for companies, but also for the residents of Hoogeveen,” says Zwiers. The municipality also wants to invest more in cooperation with other municipalities. Next year, the renovation of the southern part of the Hoofdstraat is also planned. 2.2 million euros have been made available for this. That plan has already been postponed a number of times, to the chagrin of entrepreneurs in the shopping area.
“There are a lot of young people on the sidelines,” says youth alderman Jeroen Westendorp. According to him, there are quite a few young people who are at risk of dropping out of school and are no longer able to find work. “Compared to three years ago, that number has increased.” The municipality will also invest extra in this. “In some cases it is about customization, but we mainly want to work preventively. We want to ensure that they do not end up in crime, for example.”
Under-recommendation among students is also a problem. In the case of under-recommendation, students receive a lower secondary school recommendation than children with comparable school performance. They may then fall behind permanently in education. “Nationally, under-recommendation occurs in 32 percent of cases. In Hoogeveen that is 45 percent,” explains alderman Mark Tuit. “That can really be improved and we have to focus on that.”
This year marks 140 years since the artist Vincent van Gogh came to our province. He came to Hoogeveen by train and continued his way with a barge to Nieuw-Veenoord. Various events have been set up in Drenthe to celebrate this. This is also the case in Hoogeveen, where, for example, a gigantic mural by the artist can be seen in the center.
The municipality does not only want to celebrate the fact that Van Gogh came to Hoogeveen this year. They want to continue that line in the coming years. “Next year we want to develop that theme further and position it even better. Which is also good for the tourism sector.” This also applies to the theater spectacle about Boer Koekoek that is to take place in Hollandscheveld.
Discussions are also underway to possibly grant a structural subsidy to the museum in hiding De Duikelaar. The municipality is making an amount of 350,000 euros available to expand music institution Het Podium. The aim is for a larger concert hall. Hoogeveen received the money from the Regiostedenfonds.
Hoogeveen states that public transport is under pressure. They therefore want to lobby for good public transport to, for example, the countryside. Many bus lines are disappearing and that makes traveling to those areas more difficult. The municipality also advocates improving the railway between Groningen and Zwolle. City bus De Bij must be preserved, which is why they hope to continue to receive a subsidy from the public transport agency.
The parking meters will be adjusted in 2021. A parking ticket can only be paid with a bank card or app. Cash is no longer an option. The conversion will save the municipality €31,000 per year. Nevertheless, complete replacement of all devices is planned. The life of the devices is almost over. The replacement will cost the municipality 1.2 million euros.
In municipal land, 2026 and 2027 are now referred to by many as the ‘ravine years’. From that moment onwards, municipalities are in danger of receiving less money from the central government. In recent years, more money has come in due to various crises. From 2026, this will most likely disappear. Hoogeveen must therefore pay close attention to finances at an early stage. “That is why it is important that we ultimately have enough cash in hand,” concludes Reneman. “We just don’t have enough fat on the bones yet.”