With the presentation of a structurally balanced budget to the Provincial States, the executive board of the province of South Holland has reached an important milestone.

With the presentation of a structurally balanced budget to the Provincial States, the executive board of the province of South Holland has reached an important milestone. Due to the new redistribution of the Provincial Fund and higher fixed grants from the national government, there is permanently more budget available for South Holland. This ensures that all provincial tasks are fully covered. The budget for 2026 amounts to over 1.1 billion euros.

Milestone Coalition Agreement

‘We are, of course, proud of the fact that we have succeeded in offering this structurally balanced budget to the Provincial States. And that we have achieved an important milestone from the coalition agreement. This is accompanied by a new distribution model for the Provincial Fund. This did not come without a struggle, but it was all worth it,’ said Mariëtte van Leeuwen, Deputy for Finance.

End of a Disadvantageous Distribution

Van Leeuwen points to the route to the new distribution of the Provincial Fund, which comes into effect on January 1, 2026. At this moment, the distribution, which dates back to 2016, has negative effects for South Holland due to errors in youth care and public transport. As a result, the province has missed out on about 100 million euros over the past few years. Overijssel and South Holland jointly took the lead to arrive at an acceptable new distribution for all provinces. The fund manager has adopted this proposal, making it a fact.

Extra Money for Acceleration

With the extra money, recurring tasks can thus be covered for a longer period, and some even accelerated. To accelerate, the province of South Holland is freeing up extra money in this budget for:

  • further strengthening of the Nitrogen program, so that permit issuance can resume as quickly as possible;
  • improving livability in vulnerable neighborhoods (NPLV) and New Towns, through good housing, green spaces, and adequate facilities;
  • investments in various infrastructure projects, including a new ferry for the Maassluis – Rozenburg connection;
  • accelerating permit issuance regarding flora and fauna, through an additional contribution to the Environmental Service Haaglanden;
  • measures for better water quality in our province;
  • contributions to the integration of a necessary new drinking water supply;
  • maintenance of historical mills and extra support for the World Heritage site Kinderdijk.

Investment Agenda of 120 Million Euros

Based on amendment 910, this budget also includes a designated reserve of 120 million euros. The Provincial Executive will prepare an Investment Agenda for this. At the end of 2025, they will present this to the Provincial States. The upcoming budget year is important for the sitting college: they are trying to achieve as many of their ambitions from the coalition agreement as possible. This is the last year of this college before the Provincial States elections take place in 2027.

Last Year Before the Elections

We also refer to it as the harvest year. It is nice that we have been given extra space by the Provincial States to do our work, said Van Leeuwen. The success of this depends not only on sufficient funds. Developments such as a new cabinet also play a role. Just like economic and political developments, including those from abroad. Therefore, we must remain flexible and sharp in our approach.