Relief for Amersfoort's cultural organisations. In the proposal for the multi-annual budget 2015-2018 (presented last night by the college to the city council), they remain largely unaffected when it comes to cuts. Only theatres De Flint and De Lieve Vrouw have to make cuts. They may merge in 2017.
There was a lot of turmoil in the cultural scene recently. The college presented a list of austerity options with far-reaching consequences. Organisations stirred the drum and mobilised supporters. Fear and uncertainty for nothing, it now appears. Schools for the Arts, the libraries in new housing estates Vathorst and Hoogland, museums and festivals: their continued existence is not at risk.
Only theatres De Flint and De Lieve Vrouw will not come off unscathed. They will have to cut management, administrative and organisational costs through closer cooperation or merger from 2017. A measure with two faces. Logical because De Lieve Vrouw is already in dire financial straits (e.g. an additional €150,000 subsidy is needed for overdue maintenance). On the other hand: the two theatres have their own identities. While De Flint mainly focuses on larger audiences, De Lieve Vrouw (also a film house) offers space for small-scale, alternative performances. This alternative character may be lost.
19 million
Since the end of 2014, Amersfoort has been under the supervision of the province of Utrecht. Cause: disappointing revenues from land operations. To get out of the supervision, cuts and revenue increases are needed, rising to 19 million in 2018. The proposal for the multi-year budget presented yesterday shows that the college mainly opts for burden increases in housing costs. OZB and charges for waste and sewerage will go up. Furthermore, some measures from the austerity options will be implemented. Such as those of the savings on De Flint and De Lieve Vrouw. But support and information points for the population scattered throughout the city will also be abolished and animals will disappear from a city park, for example.
On 12 May, the municipality will hold a public participation evening to, as it is so eloquently called, "engage with the city one more time." The final decision will then follow on June 2.
Photo: Amersfoort Koppelpoort, photographer: Vera Jaarsma-Bakker
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