During the Tonight Council meeting, the opposition in Borger-Odoorn criticized the new plans of the municipal administration. According to the parties, important choices are pushed forward and not all information is clear.
The municipality wants to reserve money for, among other things, a new multifunctional accommodation (MFA) in 2nd Exloërmond and expansion of the Esdal College in Borger. Money is also being put aside for the next municipal administration: 1 million euros extra each year and also 3 million one -off.
GroenLinks party chairman Pieter de Groot finds it strange that money is already being reserved for future administrators. “A new college must be able to choose where the money is going. Now decisions are already being made for them.”
Alderman Henk Zwiep (PvdA) thinks differently. “We want to leave the housekeeping book like we have found it at our start, because that way we don’t tax the next college.”
D66 is also critical. Chairman of the party John Goeree says that the municipality is now freeing money for unknown plans in the future, while choices have to be made right now. He calls that ‘short -sighted’.
Just like D66 and GroenLinks, Coalitiepart VVD also questions the way in which the college wants to pay the long -term plans. “We are worried about how this should be financed. Now sometimes a different party pays, but if it stops, the municipality will pay for all costs. We can’t keep that up for years.”
Yet there are also positive sounds. Leefbaar Borger-Odoorn is happy with the course of the municipality. Annemiek de Groot: “It seems to be not too bad, so we can continue on the road we have taken.”
The PvdA agrees. Group chairman Yannick Olij says he is proud of the financial situation of the municipality. “The taxes have remained low and we look closely at our expenses.”
Nevertheless, several parties are concerned about the way in which the municipality deals with money. D66 points out that costs are often estimated too low, for example because price increases are not taken into account.
According to Zwiep, the municipal administration does that consciously. “We do not get enough money from the government structurally to make this possible. If the government comes across the bridge, we can still see if we can convert one -off expenses into annual contributions.”
Also municipal interests from criticism. Eisso Kronenberg says that in the past projects often fell more expensive than planned. His party is extra critical about the MFA in 2nd Exloërmond. “50,000 euros has already been spent on a survey, but we have not seen anything back. Yet 5 million euros has already been reserved for it. We think that is going too fast.”
At the end of the evening, the opposition parties (Municipal Interests, GroenLinks and D66) voted against the framework memorandum. Because the coalition voted for it, the municipal administration does not have to go back to the drawing table.