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Committee: 7 districts by 2010

16 January 2009 – As expected, the Mertens Committee recommends to reduce the number of districts to seven. It also suggests a new division. The reorganisation is to be implemented when municipal elections are held next year.

Almost the entire committee favours halving the number of districts. Oost should merge with Zeeburg; Zuideramstel with Oud-Zuid; Westerpark with Oud-West, de Baarsjes and Bos en Lommer; and Geuzenveld with Osdorp and Slotervaart (map). The division was proposed by Jeroen Slot of the city’s bureau of statistics.

This division allows for tasks regarding home care and social assistance being devolved to the districts. Population growth at IJburg has not yet been taken into account; it may be necessary to reconsider the division by 2020.

One of the members of the committee, District Mayor Arco Verburg of de Baarsjes, has taken a divergent view. He argues for ten districts (map).

The committee does not recommend to reduce the number of council members and administrators per district. It does think the number of city council members should be reduced, but that would require new legislation.

Further, districts should operate more at the level of neighbourhoods, following the example of cities like The Hague, Utrecht, Munich and Berlin. At present, administrators, council members and civil servants are too busy talking to each other. They should spend more time listening to residents and their organisations.

The city administration will take a provisional decision by half February and a final decision by half April. Since two aldermen were part of the committee, it seems likely that the proposals will be adopted. It also seems likely that the city council will support reducing the number of districts.

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