Rotterdam – A political leak in Rotterdam has revealed that a minority city executive is set to be formed by PRO, VVD, D66, Volt and the CDA. The scoop was first reported by AD journalist Peter Groenendijk. The editorial board of Havennieuws, however, expresses deep concern about the ballooning number of aldermen and civil servants, and urges Rotterdam’s political leaders to “finally put an end to the inflation of political posts.”
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To restore governability, Havennieuws proposes a new five‑house governance model, with four aldermen and six newly introduced “college secretaries”—a political innovation in the Netherlands. The proposal is a response to what the editors describe as a long‑standing structural problem: Rotterdam now employs more than 20,000 civil servants, equal to one civil servant per 35 residents and nearly five per street.
Reduce the Number of Aldermen
Over the past decades—particularly under former mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb—the number of aldermen and municipal staff has grown significantly. The current 2022–2026 executive consists of nine aldermen, supported by more than 20,000 civil servants, serving a city of just under 700,000 residents and roughly 4,462 streets. These ratios are, according to Havennieuws, exceptional by both national and international standards.
The editorial board therefore proposes reducing the number of aldermen from nine to four, supplemented by six college secretaries, a new administrative role inspired by the national parliament model. A leaner executive, they argue, would naturally lead to a smaller, more efficient civil service, with citizens placed back at the center of municipal work.
Assign Each Alderman a Dedicated House/Service Located Across the City
Havennieuws also advocates a structural redesign of the municipal organization: five permanent Houses, each responsible for a clearly defined cluster of services. These Houses should remain unchanged for at least twenty years to ensure continuity and stability.
Proposed Houses / Services
- House of Economy, Work & Labour
- House of Social Affairs, Culture & Health
- House of Neighborhoods, Mobility & Environment
- House of Education & Society
- House of Secretaries – New Economy, Social Neighborhoods, International Relations, Clean City, Youth & Young People, Elderly Affairs
These Houses would be distributed across the city and easily accessible by public transport. Suggested locations include: East (former PCM building, Alexandrium), South (Lombardijen), West (Marconitorens), North (Melanchthonweg), and a small central office (e.g., former ABN AMRO/Fortis building on Weena).
Roles and Compensation
Aldermen — €175,000 – Economy, Work & Labour (PRO–PvdA) – Social Affairs, Culture & Health (CDA) – Neighborhoods, Mobility & Environment (PRO–GroenLinks) – Education & Society (D66)
College Secretaries — €120,000 – New Economy (CU) – Social Neighborhoods (SP) – International Relations (Volt) – Clean City (PvvD) – Youth & Young People (BIJ1) – Elderly Affairs (50Plus)
Under the current system, nine aldermen earn a combined €1,548,000. Under the proposed model, the executive would cost €1,420,000, saving taxpayers €128,000 per year.
End the Endless Meeting Culture
By decentralizing the municipal organization into five Houses, Rotterdam could terminate its costly lease of the “vertical city” designed by Rem Koolhaas at the Kop van Zuid. A secondary benefit: the neighborhoods hosting the Houses would receive an economic boost, as civil servants would shop, lunch, and use childcare facilities locally.
The editorial board argues that Rotterdam’s meeting culture has spiraled out of control, slowing down decision‑making and reducing efficiency. External meetings would once again become the exception, requiring explicit approval.
Step Out of the Ivory Tower
Finally, Havennieuws calls for the abolition of the central municipal phone number 14010. Every service and civil servant, they argue, should once again be reachable via direct phone numbers and email.
Many civil servants now live outside the city, have limited contact with residents, and are difficult to reach. As a result, they receive almost no direct feedback from citizens—only from managers, colleagues, or the occasional journalist. Remote work during the pandemic further weakened the connection between civil servants and the public, leading to policy blind spots and errors discovered far too late.
Restoring direct contact between residents and civil servants would make the work more meaningful, help identify problems earlier, and reduce the pressure on politicians to respond to every incident or short‑term issue.