Elections
On March 15, 2023, water board elections were held nationwide. Since Wednesday, March 29, 2023, we have a new general board for the Noorderzijlvest Water Board.
The 2023 water board elections
On March 23, Dijkgraaf Roeland van der Schaaf announced the final results of the 2023 water board 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 the most seats, ending up with 6. Newcomer BBB won 4 seats and the PvdA 3. No fewer than 6 parties each won 1 seat: 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
A total of 19 seats are divided among the political parties. The new general board will also have four guaranteed seats. These are reserved for representatives of farmers and nature reserve managers. They are not elected, but appointed by the LTO (farmers) and VBNE (Association of Forest and Nature Owners) organizations. The undeveloped category will receive two seats and the nature reserves category will also receive two. This brings the total number of members in the new general board to 23.
Overview of seat distribution and elected candidates
The newly elected board was installed on March 29, 2023, during a public meeting. A complete overview of the distribution of seats and the elected candidates:
Water board elections democratic right
The water board elections are an important part of Dutch democracy. New water board elections are held every four years. These are held at the same time as the elections for the Provincial Council.
What does the water board do?
The water board is a government organization. It has a board, just like a municipality. The members of the board jointly determine the policy, rules, and agreements of the water board. The general board of the Noorderzijlvest Water Board decides on safe living with water, purified water, sufficient water in every season, and 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 working area can live comfortably and safely. The board also decides how much this water board work may cost per year and how much water board tax you have to pay.
General management and day-to-day management
The members of the general board elect the executive committee from among their ranks. The executive committee prepares decisions for the general board and implements those decisions.
