Elections
On 15 March 2023, water-authority elections were held nationwide. Since Wednesday 29 March 2023, we have a new Board of Directors at the Noorderzijlvest Water Authority.
The 2023 water-authority elections
On 23 March, dyke reeve Roeland van der Schaaf announced the final results of the 2023 water-authority elections. A total of 175,700 residents cast their votes, representing a turnout of 60.1%. This is significantly higher than in 2019, when 53.3% cast their votes.
Distribution of seats
A total of 11 parties participated in the elections. Water Natuurlijk won most seats, ending up with 6. Newcomer BBB won 4 seats and the PvdA 3. No fewer than 6 parties won 1 seat each: CDA, ChristenUnie, Betaalbaar Water, VVD, and newcomers Student & Water and Groninger Belang. Belang van Nederland (BVNL) and 50PLUS did not receive enough votes to win a seat.
New board
In total, 19 seats are allocated to the political parties. The new Board of Directors will also have 4 guaranteed seats. They are for representatives of farmers and nature-reserve managers. They aren't chosen through elections but are appointed by the organisations LTO (farmers) and the VBNE (association of forest and nature owners). The 'undeveloped' category gets 2 of these seats, and the 'nature reserves' category also gets 2. This means the new Board of Directors will have a total of 23 members.
Overview of seat distribution and elected candidates
The newly elected board took office on 29 March 2023 during a public meeting. A complete overview of the distribution of seats and the elected candidates:
Water-authority elections a democratic right
The water-authority elections are an important part of Dutch democracy. New water-authority elections are held every four years. These are held at the same time as the elections for the Provincial Council.
What does the water authority do?
The water authority is a government organisation. It has a board, just like a municipality. The members of the board jointly determine the policy, regulations, and the agreements of the water authority. The Board of Directors of the Noorderzijlvest water authority decides on waterproofing the future, treated water, sufficient water in every season, and on clean and sufficient water. For now and for the future. The board pays close attention to the various interests, such as nature, agriculture, and recreation. This ensures that everyone in our region can live comfortably and safely. The board also decides how much this water authority work may cost per year and how much water rates you have to pay.
Board of Directors and executive board
The members of the Board of Directors elect the executive board from among their ranks. The executive board prepares the decisions of the Board of Directors and implements those decisions.
