Build new houses for low and middle incomes in particular and get rid of gas more quickly. These are two of the most important points in the Den Bosch coalition agreement that was presented on Tuesday evening. De Bosschenaar will have to pay a lot for it: the real estate tax (ozb) will increase by no less than 10 percent.
The new city council of Den Bosch consists of six parties, which together represent a large majority in the city council. In addition to housing construction and the energy transition, rectifying inequalities in the municipality is an important point in the agreement.
Tuesday evening the new coalition presented the plans for the next four years. Many affordable homes have to be built in Den Bosch, in the long term even seventy percent of new homes must be in the low or middle segment. Project developers who only build for the rich have to put a sum of money in a special fund, from which cheaper houses are built.
Windmills in polder
The energy transition also needs to be accelerated. Den Bosch must get rid of gas in 2045 instead of 2050 and residents with a small grant should be helped to make their homes energy-efficient. And in order to generate sufficient sustainable energy, 16 windmills will be placed in the Sustainable polder.
The low turnout of the elections has also ensured that Den Bosch wants to reach the residents in a different way. For example, by setting up a citizens’ council, for which people from the city will be asked to participate by lottery. In this way, the new municipal council also hopes to meet the people you never hear and to hear their opinion.
Ozb goes up
Of course, all new coalition plans cost extra money. One of the ways to get there is to increase real estate taxes by as much as 10 percent. Low-income earners can take advantage of a waiver. According to the new council, the tax is still in the middle bracket nationally.
One woman in college
After twelve years, the new city council finally gets a woman in its midst, but there is only one, Marianne van der Sloot of the CDA. Other aldermen in Den Bosch: Mike van der Geld (D66), Ralph Geers (VVD), Ufuk Kâhya (GroenLinks), Roy Geers (Rosmalens Belang) and Pieter Paul Slikker (PvdA).
Sixteen parties in the council
The election results of March this year ensured that Den Bosch has the most fragmented city council in the country. Nowhere else had so many parties (sixteen) managed to secure a seat in a city council. Election winner Alderman Mike van der Geld of D’66 took the initiative for the formation and chose to work with five other parties: VVD, GroenLinks, Rosmalens Belang, CDA and PvdA. Alexander Pechtold led the formation.
The Municipal Executive will therefore be dealing with six aldermen, one more than the previous coalition. This leaves more time for lobbying in Brussels and The Hague and partnerships outside the municipality of Den Bosch, according to the official explanation. But it will also have been important that each coalition party can provide its own alderman.
Den Bosch is the first large city in Brabant with a new city council. On May 31, the city council will discuss it and the aldermen will be sworn in.