Hoogeveen has a remarkably full piggy bank: more than 91 million euros. Enough to give every resident a fat bike and still have tens of millions left over. Of course, that’s not what it’s intended for, but where does all that money come from?
The municipality writes in a letter that less money has been spent in recent years than previously thought. Hoogeveen calculated cautiously. Money was set aside for road maintenance, construction projects and other costs, but not everything was actually spent.
What was left went into the piggy bank. That happened a few years in a row. As a result, the piggy bank grew faster. Not through one big windfall, but by continually having money left over, as the 2025 annual accounts show.
But why doesn’t Hoogeveen just spend those millions? Because the piggy bank is not intended as a grab bag. Money is kept aside for setbacks and risks. There must also be enough people to carry out everything, and that is not always the case.
In addition, the future remains uncertain. Municipalities do not know exactly how much money they will receive from the government in the coming years. Healthcare and housing costs may continue to rise. That is why Hoogeveen keeps the millions as a buffer.
That doesn’t mean no money is spent at all. According to the municipal council, this will still happen. This includes a new swimming pool, fire station and playground equipment.
At first, Hoogeveen seemed to be short of millions every year from 2027 to meet the budget. Now that’s not too bad: the municipality only expects red figures in 2028. Then money must be added from the piggy bank.
Cutbacks therefore do not appear to be on the agenda. If everything does go wrong financially, there will be a package ready to make cuts. The municipality currently assumes that the package is not necessary.