Scherpenzeel wanted to remain independent and tried to convince the province, but that did not work. Scherpenzeel says he is outraged by the bias with which the province wants to enforce redistribution.
However, the province is not confident that the municipality can guarantee the facilities for residents on its own feet: “Scherpenzeel is fooling itself and the inhabitants,” said deputy Jan Markink: “Independence has become a goal and that is a wrong discussion . ”
The province already started the reclassification procedure in February. The municipality of Scherpenzeel could only get out if it came with a zipper of measures. These were presented last week.
Also see: The municipality knows for sure: Scherpenzeel must continue independently
In order to save money, Scherpenzeel wanted to move the town hall and the taxes for residents would be increased, including to pay the costs for extra civil servants. Together they cost about 1.6 million euros per year.
The Provincial Executive questions the long-term financial sustainability of these extra investments and the effects of these on administrative power.
“Our plan is brushed aside”
The municipality believes that it has indeed put a feasible and future-proof plan on the table: “And that is being brushed aside by the province,” it sounds.
‘We do have a vision and a robust, affordable, realistic and concrete plan. For our services, and for realizing our ambitions for Scherpenzeel and the Scherpenzelers. To make De Breehoek (Kultuurhus, ed.) And the library affordable, and to maintain accessible care close to people. It is only because of this biased position of the province that we do not have the opportunity to implement that plan, “said Izaak van Ekeren, alderman for finance.
Province: Scherpenzeel is now better off
The province of Gelderland has asked Scherpenzeel to weigh up the scenario of remaining independent against a merger. According to the province, this is virtually lacking: ‘This means that the Scherpenzeelse college does not enable the council and the population to make a really well-founded assessment.’
The B&W Board is firmly convinced that Scherpenzeel is best off as an independent municipality. There is a dichotomy in the council: the coalition is for independence, while the opposition prefers to join Barneveld. They had previously wanted to merge voluntarily. In the past 20 years, there has been more talk about the redivision of the small, Veluwe municipality.
Action
The Scherpenzeel city council does not intend to accept the provisional position of the province. “We have not yet heard any arguments that take us away from our plan. We do it for Scherpenzeel, for our residents. We are convinced that our plan offers the best guarantees to keep the things that are important to them. “
At the end of next week, all residents of Scherpenzeel will receive a personal appeal to express their opinion. “We call on our residents to speak out about our plans for Scherpenzeel. Ultimately it is all about support. They can avoid that, neither in Arnhem nor in The Hague. “
Long process
The plans of the municipality have therefore been labeled as insufficient by the province. A long procedure is awaiting, in which the city council has yet to adopt the Framework Note, discussions are still being held with the Barneveld council and consultations are held with the Minister of the Interior, Kasja Ollongren.
The proposal will then have to go through the House of Representatives and the Senate. New municipal elections will also be held. When everything is complete, the reclassified municipality must be a fact on 1 January 2023.
An article with reactions from the municipalities involved will follow later today. Following this decision by the province, both Scherpenzeel and Barneveld will give a press conference.
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