Gorinchem 2022 budget: room for ambitions in terms of sustainability, mobility, social issues and education

GORINCHEM The municipal executive of B and W Gorinchem presented the budget for 2022 to the council for decision on Thursday, October 7. In 2022, additional efforts will be made to achieve the ambitions set out in the Gorcums Agreement. This means investing more in sustainability, mobility, social and education, “so that Gorinchem remains a pleasant city to live, work, learn and recreate”.

In addition, this latest budget of this Municipal Executive, in part thanks to additional resources from the government, offers the new Executive Council the possibility of setting new ambitions. City council will discuss the budget at the council meeting on November 4.

NEW CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS This is the last budget for this college. Municipal elections will be held in March, after which a new council will be formed. Dick van Zanten, Alderman for Finance: “In 2022, we will continue to invest in various projects that are in line with the visions that we have developed with the city and that contribute to a sustainable and easily accessible city, where people love to live, work, learn and recreate. Consider projects such as redeveloping the Haarsekaden so that students can cycle safely there, and drawing up plans for more parking spaces at the Kweeklust garage. Investments are also made in various new construction projects, an integrated social policy, electric ferries, an additional public transport station, a new replacement building for Gilde Vakcollege Techniek and the i-lab in Gorinchem-Noord, and we are starting the creation of the heating network. In short, we invest in important themes such as sustainability, mobility, social and education. And we give the new board of directors to define new ambitions.

POSSIBILITY OF NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES During the year 2022, a revision of the municipal fund is expected, the fund which distributes the resources of the central state between the municipalities. This could have a negative impact on the resources Gorinchem receives from the government. A national reform of youth protection is also expected. Van Zanten: “Before 2022, municipalities will receive additional resources from the government for youth care shortages. These financial resources are currently only available for 2022, but we expect that they will also apply for the following years. But a new cabinet will decide. “

‘DESPITE COARONA A LOT BASED ON’ Dick van Zanten, alderman of finance: “Despite the coronavirus crisis, we have set a lot in motion during this legislature. With the vision of the city “GO2032”, we had in our hands a number of concrete building blocks. Thanks to many fellow citizens, entrepreneurs, organizations and other stakeholders, we have translated them into the various sub-visions necessary for the development of the city of tomorrow. Think about the housing and transformation vision, the mobility vision, the culture vision, the thermal transition vision, the regional energy strategy, the economic vision, the comprehensive social policy and a services vision. These have been implemented, among other things, in the realization of more than 1000 houses, Samengorinchem.nl as a digital platform, a professional campus with an innovation center in Gorinchem-Noord and a sports hall multifunctional at Fortes Lyceum.

More information on the 2022 budget is available on the website of the Municipality of Gorinchem via: www.gorinchem.nl/begroting.