Boortmeerbeek (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – On January 27, 2025, Boortmeerbeek’s city council will discuss a plan to raise personal income tax from 5.8% to 7.2% and increase property tax from €725 to €850. Councillor Jurgen Vervaeck (Open VLD) calls this “voter fraud,” while Alderman Bert Meulemans says it’s needed for the town’s finances.
The new proposal from the ruling groups, Samen voor Boortmeerbeek and CD&V will be talked about at the city council meeting on Monday, January 27, 2025. Changes to taxes aim to change local finances. One of the main ideas is to raise the personal income tax rate from 5.8% to 7.2%. This increase is meant to bring in more money for the municipality.
According to authorities, the municipality has not said exactly how this new money will be spent. However, it is expected to affect local taxpayers. Homeowners will also see an increase in the extra amount they pay on property tax. This will go up from 725 to 850. This change will affect the total property tax based on each property’s value.
Will Boortmeerbeek’s tax proposal balance the financial burden?
The local government wants to create a more balanced system by changing how the financial load is shared. However, it is still unknown how much this will save residents. The city council will discuss these proposed changes on Monday, January 27, 2025. Local officials said that it is expected that residents will have a chance to share their thoughts during the meeting. More details about the proposal will be found in the city council agenda or by contacting the municipality directly.
Jurgen Vervaeck, a councillor from Open VLD, has criticized the decision. He calls it “a form of voter fraud.” He says the local government did not inform residents about the planned tax hikes in advance. These hikes include a 25% increase in personal income tax and a big rise in property tax.
Vervaeck believes these changes will affect homeowners, especially those in Boortmeerbeek. He is concerned that these increases will add financial pressure on residents and damage their trust in the local government.
“For us, this is a form of voter fraud,”
Says opposition councillor Jurgen Vervaeck (Open VLD).
“They never announced in advance that they would increase taxes. And then there is also a 25% increase in personal income tax.”
Bert Meulemans, the Alderman for Finance, defended the tax increases. He said they are needed to fix the financial problems in Boortmeerbeek. Meulemans noted that a simple fix would not work and that these changes were expected before.
He mentioned that some parties had suggested merging with Mechelen to solve money issues, but the current government did not agree. Instead, Meulemans believes the tax increases are a responsible way to meet the town’s financial needs. There is still a debate about how to manage Boortmeerbeek’s finances in the future.
Bert Meulemans said:
“We are forced to do this and a cosmetic intervention is not enough. That an increase is necessary was already clear during the previous legislature.”
The current government in Boortmeerbeek has criticized the past government for budget decisions that affected the town’s finances. They say the former leaders made large cuts to investments and hired new staff right before their term ended. They also claim that the sewer renovations were not planned well, which caused extra costs. The previous leaders deny these claims. They say their financial management was good and that all spending was planned properly.
Opposition councillor Jurgen Vervaeck has raised concerns about the quick timing of the tax increase. He argues that this fast action means residents will pay taxes based on their income from 2024. This could take away any tax refunds they were expecting.
Vervaeck believes that people who thought they would get their money back may now have to pay extra taxes to the town. This change could create an unexpected financial burden for them.
