Sint-Lievens-Houtem (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Sint-Lievens-Houtem will not cut costs despite rising municipal pressures, planning €2 million extra investments by borrowing more, keeping taxes and staff stable while funding local projects.
As VRT News reported, Sint-Lievens-Houtem, in the province of East Flanders, Belgium, will not cut costs in the coming years. Many towns in the region have raised taxes or reduced staff to manage their budgets. The municipality says it can maintain spending because it has planned its finances carefully.
“We’ve worked hard over the past 25 years to reduce our debt,”
says Mayor Tim De Knyf (Nieuw Houtem).
“This now gives us the opportunity to continue investing in our municipality. We will make a total of €23 million in investments, which is €2 million more than in the previous legislature. We will borrow €10 million for this. This means the debt per capita will increase, but we can easily repay those loans.”
How will Sint-Lievens-Houtem fund €23M investments without raising taxes?
A multi-year plan will be presented for approval on Wednesday, December 17, 2025. The plan covers spending, investments, and revenue measures. It will be discussed by both the municipal council and the council of the Public Social Welfare Centre. Officials say the review ensures proper oversight and that financial decisions align with local priorities.
“We won’t be raising personal income taxes, and the additional tax will remain the same,”
says De Knyf.
“We won’t be laying off any staff, and our services won’t become more expensive.”
“We have a number of vacant homes in our portfolio. We will sell them. This way, we want to prevent them from deteriorating further and having to invest millions in restoration in the long term.”
Officials mentioned that the town’s low debt shows why it can act differently. In 2023, Sint-Lievens-Houtem had the lowest debt per resident in the province, only €101 per person. In comparison, Ghent had €3,556 per resident, and nearby Herzele had €1,666.
Sint-Lievens-Houtem has increased its borrowing in 2024 after years of low debt. The municipality’s debt per resident rose from €101 in 2023 to €521 in 2024. Officials say the borrowing is meant to support local projects and day-to-day operations. To help manage finances, the town plans to sell vacant properties.
