The municipality of Emmen has been doing well financially in recent years. Every year the housekeeping book shows a greater increase, although vigilance remains necessary according to the council. Nevertheless, the council, and in particular the coalition parties Wakker Emmen and PvdA, believe that the wallet can be stretched further here and there.
During the budget meeting, they submitted a number of amendments together with other parties. More than 1.6 million euros extra will be allocated for roads, debt assistance and a village and neighborhood fund.
The lion’s share of that amount (one million euros) goes to a bottleneck fund for roads (amendment by Wakker Emmen, PvdA and VVD), because the council already raised the questionable quality of this two years ago. An inspection in 2020 also produced a disturbing picture. For example, many roads constructed in the 1960s and 1970s are nearing the end of their lifespan.
Between 2014 and 2018, 12 million euros was allocated for this. This expenditure was subsequently canceled due to budget cuts, but last year there appeared to be room again for much-needed and overdue maintenance: in one fell swoop, the municipality decided to pump 40 million euros into the roads over the next four years.
Despite this extensive investment, the aforementioned factions are not yet completely confident. An additional bottleneck for public spaces is therefore appropriate. “The climate is becoming increasingly erratic and that causes greater problems,” said group leader Leo Hoogenberg of Wakker Emmen.
In addition, the municipality will allocate an additional half million over the next two years to identify payment arrears among residents more quickly. The measure (an amendment submitted by Wakker Emmen, PvdA, CDA, ChristenUnie, D66, 50Plus and SP) is intended to prevent residents from falling into debt.
From 2021, companies and institutions may notify municipalities if they see that their customers can no longer pay the bill. Consider, for example, a housing association or the health insurer. The municipality knocks on residents’ doors if the debt exceeds 750 euros.
“We would therefore like to see more manpower deployed and that amount adjusted downwards,” said PvdA faction leader Anita Louwes. For debts higher than 750 euros (a very high amount, according to Louwes), people are approached personally. People with lower debts will receive a letter. “But a letter is less effective than personal contact.”
Currently, about 400 people are above that limit. By adjusting this downwards and increasing the effectiveness of the municipality, Louwes expects that people will be prevented from sinking deeply into debt sooner and faster. “It will save our residents a lot of hassle if you can intervene in a timely manner with a relatively small debt.”
As far as Wakker Emmen, PvdA, ChristenUnie and 50PLUS are concerned, the pot of money for village and neighborhood initiatives may also be doubled from one to two hundred thousand. An amendment was also tabled for this. Districts and villages may submit up to one hundred thousand plans each year that lead to an improvement in local quality of life.
The amendments were appreciated by the council. No big surprise since the proposals came from their own parties. Councilor René van der Weide (Wakker Emmen) was very much in favor of expanding the district and village fund. “Every year there are so many requests, the pot always runs out. So I understand the request for more financial space. I completely agree with that.”
Colleague Raymond Wanders (PvdA) was sympathetic to the stricter early signaling, while councilor Jan Bos considered the bottleneck fund for roads, among other things, to be recommendable.
The three amendments will be officially voted on on Thursday. Since Wakker Emmen and PvdA together form the majority in the council, the race is as good as over in that respect.