Can council members participate in debates affecting personal interests?
The Municipality of Veere wants to limit accommodation for tourists. However, this puts a number of council members in a dilemma. Are they allowed to debate the future of tourism in the area while being landlords themselves? Wim Voermans, Professor of Constitutional and Administrative Law, comments on this issue in Dutch newspaper ‘Algemeen Dagblad’.
Owning a mini campsite, having shares in a hotel, renting out rooms, owning a holiday home... These property interests are causing problems for a number of council members. As Algemeen Dagblad reports, this raises the issue of to what extent they are allowed to participate in debates about limiting tourist accommodation in Veere.
Professor Voermans says that council members are not allowed to participate in this debate if they actively rent out their properties. He explains: ‘Strictly speaking, they’re protecting their own tourist accommodation by supporting the council’s proposal.’ He adds that the Dutch Municipalities Act reinforces this. According to the Act, ‘a council member may not participate in a debate or vote if a matter concerns them personally or directly’.
More information
Read the full article in Algemeen Dagblad (in Dutch, €)
Photo: Marten Bjork through Unsplash