Tilburg mayor announces resignation

Peter Noordanus will step down as mayor of Tilburg on October 1st, he announced to the city council on Monday. He believes its time to make room for a new mayor, ANP reports.

As Noordanus is turning 70 years old in November next year - the statutory retirement age - he feels that there is too little time for him to serve as mayor after the municipal elections in March and before his birthday.

Personal considerations also played a role in his decision. "I am noticing my age. The mayor's position is a top sport and requires 24/7 availability. In that I make too little time for my family and I watch my grandchildren grow up from a distance."

Noordanus became mayor of Tilburg in 2010. Before that he was an alderman in The Hague.