The Municipality of Voorschoten Presents Financial Documents
The 2022 financial statements, the 2023 Spring Budget Memorandum, and the 2024 Framework Memorandum. These are the three financial documents containing figures and plans presented by the municipality of Voorschoten.
Through the annual financial statements, the spring policy statement, and the framework policy statement, the Mayor and Aldermen report to the City Council on results, ongoing programs, and plans. This month, the Mayor and Aldermen will present the three most recent documents in the planning and control cycle.
2022 Financial Statements
With the annual financial statements, the municipal executive provides a final report on the past year. Alderman Hans van der Elst: “For each program, we answer three questions: What did we want to achieve, what was done, and what did it cost? The infographic shows that not only was a great deal of work accomplished, but we also ended 2022 on a positive note with a surplus of nearly 6 million euros.”
In the 2022 Fall Budget Report, the municipal executive had projected a surplus of 1.5 million euros. There are several reasons for the difference. The alderman said: “First, the municipality of Voorschoten is also facing a labor shortage. We were simply unable to spend part of the budgeted salaries. Furthermore, we were assigned additional tasks by the national government that were not anticipated. These include providing shelter for displaced persons from Ukraine and status holders, as well as implementing the energy allowance and the climate agreement. Those additional funds also contributed to the positive result. We will carry over the portion we were unable to spend to 2023.”
2023 Spring Policy Statement
The second financial document is the Spring Report. In this report, the executive board informs the council about the finances and the progress of policy through the month of March. Based on the proposals in the Spring Report, the council may amend the budget.
The first-quarter results are presented in the report using symbols. Councilmember Van der Elst: “For example, a green flag means that a target has been met, and a green checkmark means that expenditures are on track. These symbols appear frequently in the report. An orange exclamation point means that corrective action is needed. As the municipal executive, we are of course aware of where there is still work to be done, but it is valuable to share that information with the council in a clear and organized manner.”
2024 Policy Framework Memorandum
The policy memorandum is the third financial document presented by the municipal executive. Despite the tight labor market, the municipal executive will focus on three pillars. The first pillar is that Voorschoten will remain a wonderful place to live, with engaged residents, business owners, and community organizations. This pillar includes, for example, the collaboration with Leiden in the area of employment and income, as well as the development vision for the town center.
The second pillar is creating more affordable housing. “The focus here is on young people and first-time homebuyers who would like to continue living in Voorschoten,” explains the alderman. “But we’re also building for seniors to actively promote mobility in the housing market. The third pillar is our commitment to a sustainable and future-proof Voorschoten, with solutions in the area of climate adaptation. I warmly invite residents who want to learn more about these and other plans to visit our municipality’s website.”