Policy Letter from the Voorschoten Municipal Executive: Positive Financial Outlook for 2022
The financial outlook for the municipality of Voorschoten for 2022 looks much better than expected. This is evident from the policy letter sent by the municipal executive to the city council. A balanced budget for 2022 is now within reach. This is primarily due to the additional funding the municipality is receiving from the national government for youth care. The municipality is also taking its own measures to reduce spending on youth care and the Wmo (Social Support Act). At the same time, providing quality services to residents remains a top priority. Previously, the municipality had anticipated significant deficits for youth care and the Wmo.
Alderman Cramwinckel (Finance): “For months, we’ve been preparing for the possibility that we might have to take drastic measures. But now that the national government is finally providing funding for youth care, we expect to be able to draw up a structurally balanced budget. We are also proposing our own measures. Furthermore, through the Association of Netherlands Municipalities (VNG), we will continue to lobby for more central government funding and greater flexibility in how we carry out our duties.”
The government recently decided to allocate more funds to municipalities to cover the costs of emergency youth care. With the additional government funding and the measures the municipality has already taken—and will take if the city council approves them—Voorschoten is in a strong position for the coming years.
Key Goals
The policy framework document outlines the main points of municipal policy and assesses the financial resources available to implement them. It serves, as it were, as preparation for the budget, for which the policy framework document establishes the financial parameters. The budget is adopted in the fall.
The policy letter outlines several key objectives:
- Investing in sustainability to make Voorschoten energy-neutral by 2050, in partnership with residents, businesses, and organizations.
- Finalize plans for 500 to 600 housing units before the end of this council term in 2022; to this end, the organization will be strengthened.
- Making the downtown area more attractive, particularly through the appointment of a downtown manager.
- A new government organization, designed to be close to the residents, will be launched after the summer.
The city council is expected to make a decision on the policy letter in July.