Waalre will have to live within its means in the near future. The costs of healthcare, among other things, are rising rapidly. At the same time, less money is coming in. “It will all be a bit more sober”, is the message from the municipal council.
It is not a cheerful message that the Mayor and Aldermen have to tell. Less money comes from The Hague, an important source of income for Waalre. At the same time, costs are rising, including in youth care and support for the elderly. And so the shortages are increasing rapidly. This year it is €500,000, on a budget of €41,000,000.
Measures
Measures are therefore necessary to get back into line financially. “We have to adjust our ambitions”, councillor Suzan van de Goor says. “We are taking a step back, things are getting worse in various areas”, Mayor Marcel Oosterveer adds. The buffers are also sparse. “We have had to set aside a lot of money to invest in new school buildings. There is a reserve fund for absolute emergencies, but it doesn’t last”.
So cuts will have to be made. Less maintenance on roads, but also putting on the brakes in care for the elderly and young people. “A tree root lifting the road surface. There is some grumbling about that from citizens. But postponing recovery for a while is manageable. In healthcare it will hurt more”, Van de Goor says. In healthcare, more emphasis is placed on prevention: preventing, for example, young people and the elderly from turning to more expensive care and support at a later date.
Income
In addition to reducing costs, the options for generating more income are limited, the Waalre board says. Van de Goor: “You can increase income from housing by turning the property tax knob (OZB tax) , but the municipal council does not want that. And increasing the dog tax also yields little”. Kees Vortman, councillor for Zorg en Welzijn (care and welfare), also sees that Waalre has few options. “You can impose additional charges in touristic municipalities, but that is not the case in Waalre”.
Complex tasks
It is clear to the three directors at the table why Waalre is in dire straits. Small municipalities are finding it increasingly difficult. Cuts are made by The Hague. And this while the same municipalities are given more complex tasks, such as youth care. “We have to train people for this ourselves. You have to build up that expertise”, Oosterveer explains.
Vortman thinks that this will no longer be sustainable in the long term, now that more and more small municipalities can hardly make ends meet. “We have to move to a different system. We now clean 1 in 12 houses and 1 in 12 families receive youth care. At the same time, there are staff shortages and budgets are shrinking. The government no longer always has the resources to carry out the tasks. People should start to rely more on their immediate environment”.
Hopeful
Van de Goor and Oosterveer also want to emphasise that it is not all doom and gloom. “We keep building houses. We will also not stop the redevelopment of Eindhovenseweg. We complete ongoing projects”, Van de Goor says.
Oosterveer: “We want to keep Waalre livable. And that works too. Residents enjoy living here, with a baker, butcher, GP (general practitioner) and library nearby. The distance to the government is small here. So we remain hopeful”.
At the beginning of next month, the municipal council will debate the financial situation in Waalre.
Source: Studio040
Translated by: Bob
