Etten-Leur and Sittard‑Geleen post 2025 budget surpluses

The Dutch municipality of Etten‑Leur closed its 2025 accounts with an €8 million surplus, €1.4 million higher than forecast thanks to extra national contributions for youth care and social welfare. The bulk of the 2025 expenditure was on the social domain (€65.1 million), followed by housing and living (€46.3 million) and economy and employment (€29.7 million). One million of the surplus was earmarked for youth and education projects, while the remaining €7 million was placed in the general reserve. Mayor Marina Starmans‑Gelijns noted the unexpected “incidental youth money” that boosted the budget, and officials highlighted a sharp rise in resident satisfaction with neighbourhood facilities.

In Sittard‑Geleen, the 2025 financial year ended with a €1.7 million surplus, lower than previous years because the December budget circular delivered limited additional funding from The Hague and some programmes were rolled over to 2026. Alderman Ivo Tillie pointed to ongoing challenges from rising living costs, energy prices and labour shortages, while the municipality continued investments in housing, sustainability projects such as heat‑transition pilots, and social inclusion programmes. He warned of growing financial risks ahead due to higher costs and reduced national subsidies, suggesting tougher choices may be needed to maintain fiscal health.