Municipalities must do more and more, but receive too little funding for it. This jeopardizes good assistance to people and investments in society. Municipalities are not just execution offices, but democratically legitimized authorities with their own vision and approach. They deserve space to fulfill that responsibility.
Read the opinion piece by Henri Bontenbal and Mirjam Bikker in the Algemeen Dagblad of April 17
Municipalities Deserve Trust from the Cabinet
The coalition parties agree on the spring memorandum. Reserve more financial space for municipalities, say Mirjam Bikker and Henri Bontenbal. Because they have to do more and more, with far too little money.
The cooperation between the state and municipalities is becoming increasingly difficult. Municipalities are now drawing a line in the sand. In a clear letter to Prime Minister Schoof, the Association of Dutch Municipalities (VNG) writes that the water is at their lips. Municipalities must do more and more, but receive too little funding for it. This jeopardizes good assistance to people and investments in society.
Think of youth care, debt assistance, safe neighborhoods, community centers, and subsidies to associations. At the same time, municipalities are expected to take on larger social responsibilities. Think of accommodating refugees, implementing climate measures, and building affordable housing. These tasks require not only decisiveness but also stability and financial leeway.
Municipalities are not execution offices, but democratically legitimized authorities with their own vision and approach. They deserve space to fulfill that responsibility.
Directionless
If that space is structurally lacking, local policy risks becoming directionless. Then residents feel that their municipality is not delivering what is needed - not out of unwillingness, but out of inability. And that undermines trust in the entire government. The ChristenUnie and the CDA are known as parties that are firmly rooted in villages, cities, and neighborhoods. We know how important good local governance is.
Municipalities deserve clear agreements and fair payment for their work. If the cabinet promises something, it must adhere to it. Last year, it was promised that extra money would come for youth care - not only for now but also for the future. That agreement must be honored.
The Netherlands faces major challenges: the housing crisis, climate, healthcare, and providing security for families. In solving these problems, municipalities play a key role. But then they must also have enough resources to do their work. In other words, no tasks without funds.
Fair Collaboration
The cabinet promised to work towards restoring trust and a new governance style. That starts with fair collaboration. Especially with the government agency that is closest to residents and thus plays an important role in restoring trust in that government.
The law states that if municipalities are required to carry out tasks from the state, they must also receive sufficient funding for it. It is therefore not only a political choice but also a legal obligation. And one might wonder why we are even having a discussion about this.
It is only logical that the government itself adheres to its own laws. The ChristenUnie and the CDA call on the cabinet: come up with clear choices in the spring memorandum. Stick to the agreements, give municipalities fair funding, and show that you take local governance seriously. Together, we ensure better governance and the trust of people in the government.