Geldrop-Mierlo is working to build financial resilience and maintain its ambitions

During the budget meeting, the city council discussed at length how Geldrop-Mierlo can address its financial challenges. Topics included municipal taxes, parking fees, and the impact of budget cuts on social services, community organizations, culture, prevention, and sports.

Property Tax

Property tax is increasing by 5 percent. The dog license fee is rising to 12 percent. In addition, the second hour of parking will remain free. This makes it clear that residents and business owners are feeling the financial impact in their wallets.

The city council submitted several proposals to make adjustments to specific parts of the budget and to provide the executive board with additional points for consideration. These proposals focused on reducing costs, maintaining services, and critically reviewing the municipal organization’s expenditures. The financial implications of these decisions will be factored into the budget for the coming years.

Dog tax

The dog license fee will increase by 12 percent. The municipal executive had proposed a 20 percent increase. There was even an amendment to cancel this increase, but the municipal executive advised against it. According to the municipal executive, the additional revenue is needed to properly implement the dog policy adopted by the city council in 2025. In 2026, the municipality stepped up its efforts to clean dog facilities in response to complaints and reports from residents. Starting January 1, 2027, the field service will directly manage the deployment of the dog waste vacuum. This will allow for a faster and more targeted response to reports. The municipality also intends to maintain existing facilities and, where possible, improve and expand them.

Continuing to Work Toward a Livable Municipality Despite financial challenges, Geldrop-Mierlo remains committed to the goals set out in the comprehensive council program. Housing, traffic safety, sustainability, quality public services, and support for residents remain key priorities.

The municipal executive also remains steadfast in the area of sustainability. While political parties may disagree on the pace and level of investment, the municipal executive has opted for an approach that ensures sustainability measures remain feasible and affordable. The ambition remains intact, and implementation continues. In this regard, the municipal executive does not intend to require residents to make their homes more sustainable, but rather to encourage and incentivize them to take steps in that direction. “Making homes more sustainable remains important for our municipality. We want to move forward, but in a way that is feasible and affordable for residents. We will not force people to make their homes more sustainable, but we want to help and encourage them to take that step on their own,” said Frans Stravers, Finance Alderman , on behalf of the municipal executive.

Working to Ensure Accessible Facilities

The municipality is also continuing to work on accessible facilities. This week, the municipal executive will make a decision regarding a mobile public restroom, in collaboration with De Zonnebloem. This temporary solution has been coordinated with the intended users—including people with disabilities—and experts by experience. With this solution, the municipal executive expects to meet the goal set by the city council in the 2026 budget: to establish a public restroom facility accessible to everyone, in the immediate vicinity of the hospitality square, starting in 2027. During the budget deliberations, the city council also emphasized the importance of concrete results. These ambitions must be reflected in the implementation. Ultimately, what matters is what residents actually notice in their streets, neighborhoods, and villages.

Looking Ahead with Financial Responsibility

With the adoption of the budget, a financial framework is now in place for the coming years. The budget for 2027 is balanced, but the financial situation remains a point of concern for the years that follow. For 2028 in particular, there is still work to be done to bring the budget into structural balance. Alderman Stravers: “It was not an easy budget to draw up. We face significant financial challenges, and that requires making choices that can sometimes be painful.” During the budget debate, the question of who ultimately foots the bill—residents or the municipality—was raised emphatically. “That’s an understandable question. With the increase in municipal taxes, residents and business owners are also contributing to addressing the financial challenges. As the municipal executive, we want to avoid simply passing financial problems on to the future. That is why we are committed to long-term financial robustness. We want to remain a municipality where residents can enjoy living, working, and doing business. With this budget, we are seeking a careful balance between our ambitions, the financial burden on residents, and a financially sound future for Geldrop-Mierlo. We’re not there yet. The years after 2027, in particular, will require ongoing attention. But we’ve laid the groundwork to look ahead responsibly in the years to come,” Stravers emphasizes.