2027 Budget: First Step in Implementing the City Council’s Program Voorne aan Zee
Voorne aan Zee ’s Municipal Executive has presented the 2027 budget to the city council. Alderman Finance Commissioner Erik Mulder presented the budget to the chair of the city council, Mayor Arno Scheepers, at the Cultuurhuis Nieuwe Veste in Hellevoetsluis. This is the first budget presented by this municipal executive. It translates the ambitions set out in the coalition agreement and the municipal executive’s program into concrete activities and financial decisions for 2027. The budget closes with a structurally positive balance in 2027.
Alderman Finance Director Erik Mulder: “With this balanced budget, we are demonstrating that we can responsibly achieve our goals for the coming year within the available financial framework. Given this limited framework and the major challenges facing Voorne aan Zee, it was necessary to make tough choices, set clear priorities, and develop a realistic plan. We must realize that the next two years, as things currently stand, are likely to present a less positive outlook. Therefore, caution is called for. But we can be proud of the result we have achieved.”
Tough Choices, Limited Increase in Expenses
The municipal executive considers not only what it wants, but also what is feasible given the available personnel and resources. As a result, its ambitions are spread out over the term of office, and new plans may lead to a reassessment of existing expenditures. Local taxes will rise only in line with inflation in 2027. After 2027, financial flexibility will be limited. For this reason, the municipal executive does not automatically view a surplus as money that can be spent.
What will happen in 2027?
Housing remains one of the biggest challenges. In 2027, we will be working on a comprehensive housing vision and a housing construction program. A housing construction accelerator is intended to speed up housing development. In line with this, the municipality is investing over €7.5 million in school facilities. Residents need to receive clarity more quickly. That is why we are introducing a new vision for public services with measurable standards. Waiting times for the Social Support Act (Wmo) and debt counseling will be reduced. We will further develop the business service desk, and a revised events policy is intended to reduce the regulatory burden on organizers. A white goods program and a subsidy for energy savings will make sustainability more affordable, especially for those on a tight budget. Grid congestion is a major challenge and a prerequisite for housing construction and economic development, among other things. The municipality continues to advocate strongly with the national government for the widening of the N57 and is investing in the maintenance of roads and ports. Emergency support centers will be established in villages and neighborhoods, enforcement efforts will be expanded, and the response to domestic violence and femicide will receive systematic attention. Residents will be involved earlier and more effectively in plans that affect their living environment. The municipality will make it clear in advance how much room there is for input and will show afterward what was done with it. A new online participation platform will make it easier for residents to contribute their ideas.
Mayor Scheepers: “The new municipal program is an important milestone. We are moving from words to action. Because that’s what it ultimately comes down to: what we will actually do for our residents, business owners, and organizations. I’m very much looking forward to working with the municipal executive and the city council on this in the coming years to make ‘ Voorne aan Zee ’ even more beautiful.”
To follow and to address
The budget is aligned with the coalition agreement and the municipal executive’s program and has been expanded from five to nine programs accordingly. For each component, the budget outlines what the municipal executive aims to achieve, what steps it is taking to do so, and what the costs will be. This allows the city council to closely monitor where the money is going and make adjustments as needed.
The city council will first discuss the budget in the General Affairs and Resources Committee on October 28 and then in the Budget Committee on November 5.
The 2026–2030 Administrative Program and the 2027 Budget are available on our website.