West Maas en Waal course, but adjustments are needed
The Municipality West Maas en Waal 2023 with a surplus. This additional financial buffer will be more than necessary in the coming years. An expected increase in expenditures in the coming years will require difficult choices to stay on track.
Positive result
On behalf of the executive board , Alderman Jan Slootweg executive board : “We ended the year on a positive note with a surplus of about 3 million. This is mainly due to the sale of land to project developers. In addition, a number of projects have been postponed or are taking longer because it is difficult to find staff to carry them out. As a result, we have money left over—money we need to cover the high costs in the coming years.” Recently, there has been a lot of discussion about the costs of housing for Ukrainians in West Maas en Waal. “Part of the surplus from the general reserves is now being used for this purpose,” the Alderman . “These temporary additional costs are very troublesome, but they do not define the financial challenges of the coming years.”
Increase in spending
All municipalities will face higher expenses in the coming years due to inflation. These expenses are also rising due to increased demand for healthcare and support services. At the same time, municipalities are receiving less funding from the national government. “The national government demands a lot from municipalities but is rather stingy with the resources it provides in return. We want the money to go hand in hand with the responsibilities,” Evert-Jan Slootweg summarizes. “We will certainly make that point heard in The Hague as well.”
Making choices to stay on course
“We always make sure our revenue matches our expenses. So, due to rising costs, we have to make choices. The challenge is to achieve as many of our goals as possible with less money. In the coming period, we’ll be discussing executive board with the organization and the executive board Evert Jan Slootweg continues. “We’re reviewing our expenditures: what can be improved, done differently, or made more efficient. We’re also scrutinizing all our plans: are they realistic, and can we perhaps spread them out over several years? And we’ll be examining our revenue as well. We’ll present the final proposal to the council,” the Alderman .
A Look Ahead in the Spring Budget Report
The Spring Report provides an overview of the municipality’s financial situation, current developments, and plans for the coming years.
Municipal council to act Municipal council
The 2023 annual reports and the 2024 Spring Memorandum will be presented to the municipal council. The council will make a decision on these matters at its meeting on July 4.