Mayor Maarten Houben will take off his chain of office in February after twelve years. The Mayor of Nuenen himself wanted to continue, but the city council thought differently. News that hit home hard in the Houben household. “He was really upset that evening”, daughter Floor reflects.
“It was very sudden. Then you are speechless for a while”, Floor says in conversation with LON (local Nuenen broadcaster). Her father was clearly devastated by the news. And not surprising, because his time as mayor was a turbulent period. For example, a municipal employee was murdered, but the corona crisis also had a big impact.
“Corona was an absolute low point for many people. Those who became ill or died because of it. Companies that have gone bankrupt or are still having a very difficult time. That was a difficult and, for some people, a black period. Almost unworkable too, because governance is something you do with all 24,000 residents”, Mayor Houben says.
All an opinion
Residents all have a certain opinion about him. Daughters Floor and Emma also noticed this. “There were sometimes funny things, such as ‘are you taken to school in the limousine?’ Sometimes also less funny things. That people did not like our father or had an opinion about him”.
There were also positive moments. The village near Eindhoven has undergone a change under his leadership. “The advice to the provincial government at the time was to immediately dissolve Nuenen and to merge with another municipality. The village has now absolutely developed into a mature regional player”, the mayor says, with satisfaction.
His time as Mayor of Nuenen will come to an end in February. Houben then passes the chain of office to a temporary, acting mayor. Who that is is still unknown.
Source: Studio040
Translated by: Bob
