Column by Vincent van Neerbos

Over the past few days, many of you have enjoyed Carnival with friends and family. It was a time of fun, celebration, and a break from the daily routine. We look forward to it all year long, and the countdown to next year has already begun. The way a town celebrates Carnival says a lot about our culture. That is why I want to express my appreciation for the Carnival associations and volunteers who dedicate themselves to our community all year round.

Political parties are also looking ahead, as municipal elections are coming up next year. They are already hard at work finding strong candidates for their slates and drafting their campaign platforms. These platforms outline how they envision our municipality developing in the future. You can help by sharing your thoughts, asking questions, and staying involved. So don’t hesitate to reach out to the parties if you have good ideas for your village and our municipality.

The “Politically Active” course will also be starting soon in our municipality, and I’m pleased that many residents have signed up for it. Together with them, we’ll explore how the municipality works and what it means to be politically active.
Council work isn’t easy. It demands a lot of time and dedication from council members. The workload is substantial, and in recent years, more and more responsibilities have been transferred from the national government. Our municipal council increasingly municipal council dialogue with you, the residents. Resident participation is slowly taking shape. We still have steps to take, but we are moving in the right direction.

Together, we ensure that West Maas en Waal remains a municipality we can be proud of. Let's stay involved and work together for a beautiful future.

Kind regards,
Vincent van Neerbos
Mayor