Sports clubs, Midden-Drenthe welfare work, marketing organizations and also land lachters. They are all not happy with the blows they get at the announced cuts in the municipality of Midden-Drenthe. The municipality must cut 2.3 million euros as a result of less money from The Hague. There are concrete cutbacks for 1.8 million euros. The rest will follow later this year.
For Stichting Welzijnswerk Midden-Drenthe, this concerns 325,000 euros less. That is about 10 percent of the organization’s budget, says director Sara Boxem. “Cutbacks on welfare work and prevention do not happen without consequences. On the contrary, they will eventually lead to higher social costs.”
Welfare work helps with projects to strengthen the sense of community in the villages, the NoaBerschap. Among other things, the village and community centers fall under welfare work. But guidance and information are also part of the work. “If welfare work is phased out, problems accumulate and increases in seriousness.”
Boxem points to prevention. “The use of a social worker will later save you three healthcare professionals.” In addition, this care is more expensive and less accessible. Among other things, for example through waiting lists.
The fact that today’s cuts can lead to more costs later, also recognizes Mieke Zijl, director-director of Sport Drenthe. The sports clubs also get hits. “If we now start cutting sports and movement, we will soon pay a high price for that.” As an example she points to adults and the elderly who teach a healthy lifestyle with the help of coaching. “And more and more children are doing too little.”
Tennis clubs in Beilen are also seeing the mood hanging. Among other things, the subsidy for the exploitation and maintenance of the accommodation is withdrawn. “We are completely stuck”, Arjen Bosch responds from the association. With the new padel courts, the club finally has the wind again, but now fears overdue maintenance.
“To be financially healthy, you have to save for the future and for major maintenance. I probably don’t have to point out that it has financial consequences if you cut back on the maintenance of your buildings, roads or bridges,” says Bosch, referring to the overdue maintenance of the town hall.
Despite the fact that all authorities make it known to the municipality that it stands for a difficult choice, the message hurts and lack many control. For example, the Vleeig Westerbork Foundation in the village council would rather decide for itself where the blows fall. “Then we can divide the pain and spare the vulnerable associations,” explains Gerrie de Mourning. The municipality has an appointment with many people involved to discuss the intentions.
There is currently no coalition within the Municipal Council of Midden-Drenthe, after Municipal Interests Bbbondeummer recently recently announced the collaboration with GroenLinks-PvdA and the CDA. It will soon be announced what a new coalition will look like. The effect that the budget will have is still unclear.
Local politicians will discuss the proposals later this month. The municipality has a gap on the budget of 2.3 million euros next year, the following years it concerns more than 5 million deficit.