“Do you think it’s exciting?” mayor Eric van Oosterhout asked a slightly tense Kirsten when making the promise. “Yeah,” came out a little trembling but with a broad smile. But she’s happy with it, she says afterwards. “It was very exciting at the election. It was almost the same between Noor and me. But I really think it’s great.”
Kirsten has been appointed for a year and wants to do something about bullying during that period. “That happens to me a lot myself. It is just very annoying. I would like to visit all schools to talk about it.”
As a children’s mayor, you are also expected to guide the mayor in all kinds of matters. Kirsten herself does not yet know exactly what her agenda will look like.
In addition to Kirsten, Noor and the other members of the children’s municipal council were also installed. Alderman Dewy Leal is happy about it. “Children know better than adults what is needed.” According to Leal, the most important themes the young people have touched on so far are safety, tackling litter and, with a dot on one, play locations.
During the specially arranged council meeting, a number of installations also took place with the adult politicians. For example, veteran Jan Bos was sworn in as alderman. He replaces Jisse Otter, who takes place on behalf of the BBB in the Provincial Executive of the province. For Bos it is actually a big deja vu, since he has fulfilled this role before.
Between 2014 and 2018 he was already alderman on behalf of Wakker Emmen. At the time, he was about care and welfare, public health and personnel. At the end of that term, he announced that he had chosen the director’s post at Public Transport Groningen and Drenthe. But eventually it started to itch again when he heard the news of Otter’s departure.