Eindhoven favours a merger between neighbouring municipalities Oirschot and Best, the municipality told Studio040. Eindhoven thinks that the administrative power in the region would be enhanced if the two villages merged.
Eindhoven municipality does not want to say more about it. Neighbouring municipality Son en Breugel is keeping its mouth shut when it comes to the planned merger of its neighbours in Best with the municipality of Oirschot. ‘We will not speculate as a neighbouring municipality,’ a spokeswoman informed.
Merger plans
Oirschot and Best have been holding talks on a merger for some time. The two municipal councils were already enthusiastic. Researchers from an independent consultancy also pointed in the direction of a merger last month. Remaining independent would be ‘undesirable’ for both municipalities. Because of the region’s rapid economic growth, many tasks would become too complicated, the researchers argue. These include the rising demand for healthcare, the pressure on village accessibility and the increasing need for facilities. If everything goes according to plan, and the municipal councils approve next year, the merger should be a reality by 2028.
Whether the merger will actually lead to more administrative clout in the Brainport region, as Eindhoven thinks, remains to be seen. Now, 21 municipalities within the Metropolitan Region Eindhoven (MRE) cooperate in all kinds of areas, such as housing, traffic and energy supply. With a merger of Oirschot and Best, that will become 20 municipalities. Together, they would then immediately become the third largest municipality in the region, after Eindhoven and Helmond.
Gap
Professor of Economics of decentralised governments at the University of Groningen, Maarten Allers, does understand Eindhoven’s stance. Allers conducted research on cooperating and merging municipalities. “Eindhoven, as the dominant factor in the region, benefits from such a merger. After all, there are fewer members in a regional cooperation. This makes it more practical, because you have to do business with fewer people.” Yet he also sees snags. “A merger could lead to the gap between citizens and government widening. That distance is already increasing, we see in one of our studies. More regional cooperation can further increase the distance. At the same time, a merger or further cooperation can also turn out well. For instance, in complex tasks like youth care, which is very specialised work.
Substantiation
In Best City Council, opinions are mixed. VVD party chairman John Verheijen fully agrees with the Eindhoven municipality. “Of course the effectiveness in the region will improve if Oirschot and Best merge. If we soon have fewer people at the table, we will be able to tackle major tasks more efficiently.”
Leon Kennis of Best Open’s local group is more reserved. “We think it is too early anyway to say yes or no to the merger now. So we can’t say whether the effectiveness in the region will improve soon either.” He wants more clarity first. “Our municipal government assumes all kinds of advantages, but we lack a good foundation. How do the two civil service organisations coincide? The differences are between Oirschot and Best could be big. And that’s going to hurt. Also, residents are not yet sufficiently involved in the merger plans.”
Syrupy
Verheijen and Kennis do agree immediately when it comes to all kinds of powers Best can transfer to the MRE. “Now 21 alderpersons are talking about regional bus routes, for example. That’s not practical. Why not appoint one or two alderpersons who will then do this on behalf of all 21?” His colleague from Best Open sees it the same way. ‘Decision-making in the region is far too syrupy now.’
Source: Studio040.nl
Translated by: Anitha Sevugan
