Rules and Requirements

What are the ground rules for citizens and municipality? And how does the working group evaluate an initiative?

Game Rules

Game rules for citizens

  • All Kerkrade residents aged 14 and older can submit a citizens' initiative.
  • Initiative proposals must have the support of a sufficient number of Kerkrade residents aged 14 and older. That support must also be made visible in the action plan.
  • How many statements of support are needed depends on whether the citizens' initiative is neighborhood, district or urban and will be determined together.
  • Your citizens' initiative must have at least 1 and a maximum of 3 "representatives. These persons will be contacted by the municipality for further processing of the citizens' initiative.
  • Your citizens' initiative states concretely and clearly what you expect from the municipality. This briefly indicates what the adoption of your proposal will bring to the neighborhood, district or city.
  • Submitting the contact form is also a commitment to further engage in the development (and possibly implementation) of your idea.

Game rules for the municipality

  • The municipality actively provides information.
    Information on the options and Requirements for submitting a citizens' initiative can be found at www.kerkrade.nl/burgerpanel
  • The municipality provides a central point of contact.
    The subject matter officer is the first point of contact. Where necessary, the Working Group on Citizen Participation can support this
  • The municipality works with a constructive attitude.
    The municipality is open and thinks along about possible adjustments and solutions. The municipality is also clear about the division of roles between initiator and municipality. The starting point is always to make an initiative that meets all Requirements successful.
     

Requirements 

What may it be about?

The idea is about a subject on which the municipality can decide. So not, for example, about the level of benefits or the rent allowance, because that is decided by the state. 

The municipality supports civic initiatives: 

  • who have sufficient support from society; 
  • that contribute to the goals of the College. Municipal policy visions are the starting point;
  • that reinforce other developments already underway for the benefit of the community.

What should it not be about?

A citizens' initiative should not be about:

  • implementation of higher regulations in which the governing body has little or no policy discretion;
  • municipal procedures; 
  • the municipal organization;
  • adoption and amendment of the municipal budget; 
  • municipal taxes and rates; 
  • monetary provisions for office holders, former office holders or their survivors or their beneficiaries; 
  • acts and conduct of college members, council members or officials against which a complaint may be filed under the General Administrative Law Act or a grievance procedure adopted by the council or the college; 
  • appointments or performance of individuals; 
  • subjects against which an objection or appeal is or has been open; 
  • subjects belonging to the competence of another municipal governing body;
  • topics that have already been decided on in the past 2 years.