New A'dam coalition planning parking +tourist tax hike, free public transport for kids
The new Amsterdam coalition, consisting of PRO Amsterdam and D66, presented its plans for the coming years on Wednesday. They include higher tourist tax, but no significant increase in costs for locals, except for pricier parking permits. Kids up to 16 will get free access to public transport from next year, the goal for building 68,000 homes by 2030 is maintained, and the city is cutting its own workforce by 2,500 jobs.
Party leaders Zita Pels (PRO Amsterdam) and Melanie van der Horst (D66) presented the new coalition agreement, titled Your city is my city. Our Amsterdam, on Wednesday morning, Parool reported. The agreement is focused more on budget cuts than previous ones, with €344 million in budget cuts planned against €292 million in investments.
Taxes
Tourist tax will increase from 12.5 percent to 16 percent next year, and will subsequently increase by 1 percent annually to 20 percent.
For residents, the coalition agreement holds no major tax hikes. Property tax and waste collection levies will not increase, the parties promised.
But parking permits will become more expensive, and the discount on visitor parking will be phased out to 40 percent. The agreement does not say by how much parking permits will increase.
Housing and housing construction
The new coalition is holding on to existing plans to build 68,000 homes by 2030, not mentioning new construction targets in the coalition agreement. The 40 percent social housing, 40 percent middle segment, and 20 percent private sector distribution remains the formal starting point, but projects can deviate to 30 percent social housing if they align with the broader housing demand. The parties warned that they may have to temper their social housing ambitions due to national policy.
The coalition also wants to place more focus on building mid-market rentals, senior housing, and larger family homes. And the new construction agenda for the coming 15 years will give “living space” center stage, “not just the number of homes.” The coalition also plans to tackle slumlords and inspect 20,000 homes for excessive rent.
The municipality is planning to make it easier to split owner-occupied homes of 100 square meters or more into multiple units and to add extra floors, “top-ups.” There will be a “large-scale home exchange initiative” with housing corporations to help more people find suitable housing. And the municipality will stop drawing funds from the land revenue fund for purposes other than housing construction. Until 2031, the only non-housing construction money coming from that fund will be for the bridge over the IJ.
Public facilities
The major investments mentioned in the coalition agreement all focus on public facilities and visible amenities. Children aged 16 and under will be able to travel for free on public transport from next year. The measure will cost €20 million per year.
The coalition is planning two new swimming pools, one on the border between the Nieuw-West and Zuid districts, and one on Zeeburgereiland.
To address the consequences of an aging population, the new city government is creating a new portfolio for Seniors, which will have its own alderman dedicated to it.
Free and healthy school meals will be expanded and made permanent, starting at schools where the need is greatest. Teachers will receive a combination of benefits through the Golden Teacher Ticket, including priority for affordable housing, travel allowances, parking permits, and increased development opportunities.
The approach to waste management is being overhauled. The municipality designated this a crisis approach and wants to work towards a single organization for a clean city, with all teams under joint management. In neighborhoods where necessary, waste will be collected first, and cleaners will then immediately sweep the streets. All entrepreneurs will be required to have a waste contract.
Government job cuts
The new city government plans to cut 2,500 municipal jobs and contract positions by 2031, primarily in senior roles. The majority will disappear between 2026 and 2028. As of July 1 this year, a hiring freeze will apply to positions starting from salary scale 10.
The coalition plans to cut funding for policy, management, communication, research, and consultancy. This fits into a broader effort to restructure and simplify the municipality’s operations. PRO Amsterdam and D66 intend to scrutinize rules and programs and scrap those that are too complex or consume too much time.
Notable absences
The coalition agreement does not include plans for the highly contested erotic center. Instead, the new coalition wants to focus on small-scale initiatives.
There will also be no ban on tourists buying cannabis from coffeeshops. The PvdA had pushed for the measure before merging with GroenLinks to become PRO Amsterdam.
