Geraardsbergen Geraardsbergen has the budget years adorned with a financial trick. “Since 2014, only interest paid and there was barely capital repaid. Therefore, the city had last year, all 19 million borrow. This year is 12.5 million. I can be there but one conclusion to draw: Geraardsbergen is bankrupt,” says Emma Van der Maelen (sp.a).
According to Emma Van der Maelen predicts the budget of 2019 yet more mischief. “It is incomprehensible that Open Vld and CD&V, these practices apply. They wanted the ribbons of some of the projects are still cut for the municipal elections, but the bill was simply deferred to the future. We hold our breath what will this majority of Open Vlden CD&V will delete to the financial well to be sealed, because there still needs to 600,000 euros can be saved. That also means that the city no space to even ordinary expenditure or to make an investment with its own resources. The city council is forced to raise revenue and the expenses to reduce. It’s simple: there is not a cent more in cash,” says Emma Van der Maelen.
