“What mayor Elly Blanksma is doing for Helmond is inhumane,” says her party colleague and CDA faction leader Pieter Vervoort. The mayor announced her departure on Tuesday. She will retire next November. She will then have served two terms as mayor of six years each. “I understand,” Vervoort continues. “She is available seven days a week. In my opinion, that is overexploiting yourself and your family, but she never complained.”
A total of 21 mayoral candidates applied for the position of ‘citizen father’ of Helmond. Four of them were women and Blanksma was ultimately chosen. She was born 64 years ago in the Elkerliek hospital in Helmond and grew up in the neighboring municipality of Beek en Donk. She did not have much management experience, although she was a member of the House of Representatives for six years. She mainly had a financial background.
“She often starts at 8 a.m. and doesn’t stop until around midnight, every day.”
She only wanted to run for mayor in Helmond, her heart was in that region. That was exactly what the municipality was looking for at the time. The profile for a new mayor stated that he or she had to be involved with the city, its residents and entrepreneurs. If the mayor also brings along the character trait ‘approachable’, that would be great.
According to the CDA faction leader, she has more than fulfilled this wish. “She started at eight in the morning and often didn’t go home until twelve at night. She did that seven days a week. I was sometimes worried, but she was never tired. She was always on. She was also involved in everything from cutting ribbons, comforting relatives to defusing political crises.”
“You don’t have an argument with Elly, just a substantive discussion.”
However, he did not always agree with the mayor’s decisions. “Recently when she single-handedly took the decision to place three Ukrainian families with children from emergency shelter. We thought her argument for such a drastic decision was too weak. Then you are not having an argument, but a business discussion.”
Group leader Martijn Rieter of opposition party Helder Helmond is also pleased with his mayor. “She is a nice person and very human in her considerations. Despite the fact that her party color is CDA, she stands above the parties. She treats people with respect and that affects the others. Integrity is very important to her. No double agenda. That works very well.”
“I think it is too early now to discuss what I will leave behind to Helmond.”
Of course, what Martijn has to say about the mayor is not all hosanna. “I think it is a great pity that she is putting off the decision about a second coffee shop. This already happened with her predecessor and, as far as I am concerned, does not benefit crime in Helmond.” On the other hand, Martijn acknowledges that the mayor has pulled out all the stops to improve safety. “She had research conducted and subsequently made a lot of money available to tackle drug trafficking, weapons possession and other criminal behavior.”
“I also like to be approached when I walk through the city.”
Mayor Blanksma thinks it is a bit early to look back on her legacy to Helmond. : We still have plenty of time for that next year.”
About that enormous dose of energy, she wants to say that it is because she is doing something that she really enjoys. “What also helps is that I can be myself everywhere. I cry and laugh with people. I play sports with Helmonders. And yes, I also like to be spoken to when I walk through the city.”
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In the town hall, Elly Blanksma tells us that she is quitting