The council will debate the budget, the first from the municipal executive in the new term of office, on Thursday 5 and Wednesday 11 November.
“The multi-year outlook is negative, while there are substantial new ambitions,” says Sonja Hilgenga, the alderman for finance. “To be able to realise those ambitions, clear strategic choices will have to be made.”
According to the municipality, central government's revised policy makes its finances harder, and it is uncertain how the municipal fund, through which central government pays the municipalities, will develop, while the cost of youth care is not yet sufficiently under control.
At the same time, large projects are on the agenda for the coming years, for facilities in Gieten and Gasselte and for school buildings, including those of the Dr. Nassau College and the Jan Thiesschool. The executive also wants to make progress on housebuilding, strategic land purchases, entrepreneurship, farming with a future and a new environment plan. To do so, it also wants to use subsidies and other schemes, such as Nij Begun, the programme for the area affected by gas extraction.
As examples of taxes that may go up, the municipality points to the OZB, the property tax, and the tourist tax; it does not yet give any amounts. It also wants to keep a critical eye on what it spends.