The Mayor's New Year's Eve Speech

Dear residents, entrepreneurs, representatives of associations and organisations, emergency services, fellow administrators, and all other associates,

A warm welcome to this New Year's Eve gathering. Once again this year, we stand together in the unique Christmas atmosphere of Duivenvoorde Castle, surrounded by all those lights and candles, to look back at 2024. A year of extremes, where sorrow and joy lay very close together.

Astrid and Luca

First and foremost, at a moment like this, we think of the loved ones we have lost this year. For one, a great loss in their personal surroundings, close to home. For another, a loss a little further away.

But sometimes a loss affects all of us. Then I think of Astrid and Luca. 17-year-old Astrid was the victim of a traffic accident. 22-year-old Luca lost his life in a stabbing. Two young people, both of whom still had a future ahead of them.

It was heartwarming to see how we, as a community, rallied around these families and groups of friends, in the hope that all those involved would find support in it. That they were not alone. Moments like this remind me just how special Voorschoten is.

Natural ice rink

Moving from such sad memories is always a complicated transition to the present day. What other memories stay with us as we look back on this year?

What I think of first, partly due to the fairytale atmosphere in this castle, is that hour on our own natural ice rink in mid-January. What a gift to stand on the ice during the magnificent sunrise. Thanks to ice master Adri Hendriks and all the volunteers who always manage to organise this for us so lightning-fast. Let's hope we can enjoy our own Olympic natural ice rink again this winter!

Housing construction

From the natural ice rink, it is a small step to the flexible housing units. We put a lot of energy into it, but ultimately democracy did its work here too. Because there was insufficient support, we collectively decided not to build flexible housing units.

But of course, we do need to build homes! Fortunately, we’ve made significant progress on this together— municipal council, executive board , and the municipal administration. The new Het Fortuyn neighborhood in Voorschoten has been completed. Construction at Park Beresteyn has reached its highest point. Construction has begun on Professor Einsteinlaan. And at Churchillplein and Oude Stationslaantje, we’ve launched social housing projects. And I haven’t even mentioned everything yet. Whether this is enough, I won’t comment on that… That’s a political judgment. In any case, plans are being taken up and carried out, and together we’re building for the future!

Culture

A highlight this year was the unanimous decision by the City Council ( municipal council ) to finally transform Het Kruispunt into THE cultural center ( centre ). This marks a huge step forward after 25 years of talking, researching, talking, producing paperwork, and even more talking. It felt like the extension of the A4 highway…. During the council meeting, I said: “Congratulations, Voorschoten.” Those words came from the bottom of my heart. Because what a huge step we’ve taken together for culture in our village! Kudos to everyone who contributed to this, both in front of and behind the scenes.

Even now, that church plays an important role in our village. Think of the Voorschoten Awards or the musical 'The Price of Freedom'. What an unbelievable experience that was, as the highlight of the celebration of 450 years of Leiden's relief. Even though we now know that there was nothing to celebrate in Voorschoten back then… And of course, also think of the exhibition in Museum Voorschoten, the Freedom Beer, and the cycling tour through the region – a great tip for the Christmas holiday.

Sports

I will stick with sports and exercise for a moment. For instance, the council provided a broad boost to sports with the new sports accommodation policy. For the first time in the history of Voorschoten, we have a sports accommodation policy. It includes, for example, a very important investment in the athletics track. Moreover, we have launched Healthy Voorschoten Together. It is incredibly important for the municipality to continue investing in sports. It is one of the pillars of a society.

At the intersection of sports and culture, we celebrated 100 years of the short-track trotting race. What a fantastic event the Paardenmarkt Voorschoten committee, the board of the Kortebaandraverij Voorschoten, and all the volunteers put together once again. Recently, I had the privilege of presenting the Royal Honour for this unique anniversary of the short-track trotting race. Voorschoten and horses are inextricably linked. Let us work together to ensure this weekend continues for years to come! 

Public space and sustainability

Now, about the roundabout. Last year, from this very spot, I promised you that the roundabout would be addressed in 2024. Fortunately, “ Alderman ” Schokker took care of this! It was a bit of a struggle, even for local residents. But now we have a roundabout that is, above all, safer—and also greener. After the New Year, we’ll continue with major maintenance on Raadhuislaan, Oranjeboomstraat, and the surrounding area.

One of the largest projects Voorschoten has ever seen is the Adegeest project. You have undoubtedly heard about the hassle surrounding the licences. We assume that is behind us, and that we will receive the necessary licences from the Rijnland Water Board in January to truly get started. 

Of course, we can’t fail to mention Voorschoten’s group victory at the Dutch Tile-Flipping Championship in the Regio071 group. The bag that the “ Alderman ” received as a prize, bearing the inscription, “A day without flipping is a day not lived,” is definitely a keepsake!

And then there was the opening of the Corbulotunnel, a tremendous achievement by our local citizen initiative, Team Compromis RijnlandRoute. Small towns can achieve great things!

Economy

That brings me to the economy. Where would we be without our local entrepreneurs? With heart and soul, they dedicate themselves every day to our society. Through their local businesses, of course, but also by organising events.

With the “ centre” development vision, there will soon be exciting plans to make Voorschoten’s “ centre ” even more attractive and vibrant, starting with Treubplein. It’s great that we’re all putting so much energy into this together!

From Treubplein, it is just a short walk to the Ambachts- and Baljuwhuis, a historic landmark in Voorschoten. There has been a lot of discussion about the future of the building this year as well. This dossier has also been successfully concluded this year. A milestone for Voorschoten. Pieter van den Berg and Mariette Mol of Het Wapen will operate the building. How wonderful it is that two entrepreneurs who care so deeply about Voorschoten are taking this step. Many thanks for that! The start of a new era. And I look forward to visiting soon! 

Another thing that makes me happy is the now-traditional entrepreneurs' breakfast on the Day of the Entrepreneur. Many entrepreneurs attended this year as well. What energy such a morning brings!

Safety

A frequently discussed topic at present is security, particularly digital security. That this is not a distant, abstract concern became clear last April, when a serious attempt was made to hack the system of the municipality of Voorschoten.

Perhaps you also saw the television programme Black-out, which was about a power outage across three provinces caused by a cyberattack on network operator Stedin. It was a fictional scenario, but the likelihood of such an event actually happening is higher than ever. What must every resident, every family do to prepare for this and be able to survive for two or three days without utilities and without government assistance? You will hear more about this next year.

Fortunately, I can say at this moment that Voorschoten is a safe municipality. Yes, the societal trend of bicycle theft, home burglaries, and even the theft of car parts unfortunately affects us too. But we can truly count our blessings for the dedication of the police officers from the Leiden-Zuid team, the detectives, and our own municipal enforcement officers. It is a pity that, due to the confidentiality of ongoing investigations, we cannot always showcase the full extent of their efforts. But I know what all of you do. As mayor, I am extremely grateful and proud of that. And as a daughter, niece, and friend with a deeply rooted law-enforcement heart, I have nothing but gratitude for everything. 

Region

During the celebration of 450 years of the Relief of Leiden, I stated that if we had regional cooperation back then, history would have taken a different course. The every-person-for-themselves principle that still existed during that period is thankfully behind us. Many societal challenges cannot be addressed without regional cooperation. For Voorschoten, this primarily involves cooperation within the Leiden Region, focusing on Leiden and Hollands Midden, where our collaboration is continuously improving. However, borders are merely lines on a map. I also think of my fellow administrative colleagues from Haaglanden, Leidschendam-Voorburg, and Wassenaar, which borders Voorschoten. Only by working together can we tackle the challenges we face.

Other topics

What else did we do in 2024? I know you are ready for a drink, so I will briefly mention a few final activities.

In June, we celebrated Keti Koti for the first time in Voorschoten. At the Berbice estate, we experienced a moving gathering where we shared stories, danced, and enjoyed a wonderful meal.

That same month, we were busy with elections once again, this time for the European Parliament. That is always quite an undertaking, involving setting up polling stations and counting all the ballots.

To speak of elections is to speak of volunteers. How fortunate we are to have so many! From carers and firefighters to volunteers at events such as King's Day and the arrival of Sinterklaas. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

I also think of the ribbons and pearls I had the honour of presenting this year. The unveiling of the White Carnation Plot, a tribute to our veterans. The memorial plaque for Ton van der Pol. And the 40th anniversary of the Scouting Mauritsgroep. At moments like these, it is a joy to serve as mayor.

It’s also a real pleasure for me to chair the “ municipal council .” It’s a council where personal relationships are strong and discussions are lively, but always focused on the issues. These days, that’s truly one of a kind. I’d like to say to The Hague: Come take a look at Voorschoten to see how it can be done!

And then we had the farewell to the bandstand. That was certainly no celebration. It caused many of you grief. I understand that. But it was truly no longer tenable. Wood must move, as I always say, but when I see jumping Petes almost breaking through the floor, I have no choice but to take responsibility for everyone's safety. That, after all, is what I stand for.

Conclusion

I am coming to a conclusion. My father always used to say during this period: "The year is growing old". And so it is. 2024 is almost behind us and 2025 is knocking on the door. What next year will bring, nobody knows. What I do know is that it will be a special year with the commemoration and celebration of 80 years of liberation. Preparations are already well underway behind the scenes. You will certainly be hearing more about this!

For now, I wish you a very merry Christmas and a safe and pleasant New Year with family and friends. Let us also be there during this period for those who need a little help. Thank you very much. Cheers!