Stichting De Afdraai, manager of village center ‘t Brughuus in Valthermond, is once again struggling with financial problems. Solutions are being sought with the municipality of Borger-Odoorn.
Earlier there was a squabble between the foundation and the tax authorities. Then the municipality of Borger-Odoorn stepped in. This time De Afdraai is 51,000 euros short due to other causes.
Simply put: “Operating costs have risen and income has fallen”, says Edwin Kusters, chairman of the foundation. But in reality it is quite complicated.
De Afdraai rents the village hall from Woonservice and also purchases the energy from this party. The foundation still receives money back from Woonservice, because too much VAT was paid. De Afdraai will therefore still receive that money, but “that will cut into our operating deficit.”
Energy costs are also a problem. “As of December 15, we will receive new energy prices from Woonservice for next year. If they go upside down three times, then we have a problem.” Another difficulty in terms of timing: rents have risen on 1 June. The exploitation agreement runs per year, which means that the budget is based on the old rents.
The chairman illustrates the problem of high energy prices with an example. Bingo evenings are organized in the village hall. “If we then heat below 19 degrees, no one will come anymore. It concerns older people, who then have to sit still for three hours. That’s much too cold.” But if heating means adding a hundred euros in energy costs for such an evening, then the bingo evening cannot go out for the foundation.
In addition to the village hall, the foundation also manages a sports hall in Valthermond. She receives subsidies for this. The problem, however, is that that subsidy is paid in advances at the beginning and halfway through the year. The amount of these advances has remained unchanged in recent years.
This does not apply to costs. As a result, the foundation has a deficit in the last months of the year. That gap will only be closed with subsidies after the annual accounts have been drawn up.
The deficit increased this year due to disappointing income and extra costs due to illness of our own cleaning staff.
“We are really in very good consultation with the municipality,” says Kusters. The chairman is thinking about other forms of use of the spaces, for example more for the elderly. “For living room projects, our building would be very suitable.” In addition, the foundation wants to focus on more collaborations.
To make up for the shortfalls in cash, the municipality wants to provide an advance on the settlement to the foundation for both 2021 and 2022. In addition, the foundation will receive the first half of the subsidy for the village hall for 2023 in December 2022. Can staff be paid?
How problems in the housekeeping book can be prevented in the future remains unclear for a while. For this, the end-of-year figures of the foundation must first be known. However, work is already underway on a report ‘Research into the future of MFAs municipality of Borger-Odoorn’, which should also help with a structural solution.