The city council of Geldrop-Mierlo said goodbye to Alderperson Marc Jeucken on Monday evening. He held this position for about nine years, but decided to resign because he no longer had confidence of the city council. This, he says, had an impact on his health. Marc Jeucken’s conclusion: ‘Alderpersons are just like football trainers’
“I haven’t felt happy as an Alderperson for a long time”, Jeucken admits. “It broke me that the council’s wishes and the available options to implement them in the short term were not in harmony with each other. I had the feeling that I could no longer meet expectations. In this respect, alderpersons are just football coaches. They have a limited shelf life. Moreover, both are often used as scapegoats”.
According to Jeucken, the fact that he was always in the spotlight and was followed critically as alderperson for housing was not a problem. He did, however, feel that ‘the council were breathing down his neck’. “If there are restrictions, the council prefers not to hear about this and there is very little understanding of the position of the director. And that is difficult with a portfolio such as housing, which is in the spotlight and about which everyone has an opinion. That leaves little room to move”.
Annoying
A fact that Mayor Jos van Bree recognises. “Not only in Geldrop-Mierlo, but also in other municipalities and even nationally. I can imagine that Marc experienced the pressure from the council as very difficult and felt too little support and trust. If this threatens to be at the expense of your health, you must draw your conclusion. Of course we respect Marc’s choice, but personally I deeply regret his departure”.
“You are dealing with a demanding population – represented in the city council – who want to see results in the short term”, Jeucken says. “And this cannot always be achieved. If you want to set up a structure that is good for a municipality in the long term, you have to grow towards it step by step. That is much more sensible than a snap policy, which you may regret again in a few years”.
Stone
Despite not being able to finish his job, Jeucken does not see his departure as a defeat. “After nine years, which is a long time, you sometimes have to draw different conclusions”. He will be succeeded as alderperson by Godfried van Gestel, who previously worked for the police and Rabobank. “I hope he can continue with great enthusiasm what we started here. In ten years’ time we will have a completely different Geldrop here. I am proud that I was able to contribute to this”.
Source: Studio040
Translated by: Bob
