Amsterdam mayor calls for second six-year term

Amsterdam mayor Eberhard van der Laan announced his desire to win a nomination for a second six-year term in a letter to city council on Friday. Van der Laan sent the letter after first discussing the situation with the King's Commissioner, a liaison between municipalities and the Dutch cabinet. "Looking back over the past five years, I have really enjoyed working hard on behalf of the city with your counsel, the aldermen, civil servants and Amsterdammers. Amsterdam is never finished and there are persistent problems, but the city is in a relatively good state," the mayor said in a statement. He added that he daily meets city residents who love Amsterdam, but they always want to see improvements. As mayor, he wants to continue in service to "this beautiful city and her fantastic residents," he said. However, he said he also desires more balance in his life to "reduce the heavy burden on my private life and that of my family." He said this will not change his willingness to give 100 percent effort to the role, but he wants to be stricter with his personal time. He also said he hopes the city council will approve a reappointment, and that he looks forward to working with everyone on behalf of the 825,000 people living in the city.