RegionalSociety
Flanders' Pool Closures: A Subsidy Few Towns Are Using
Flanders has lost 54 public pools since 2004. A 2025 subsidy scheme offers millions, but only four applications have been filed in 18 months.
—7 min read
Tag
#Local Government
20 articles
Politics & ElectionsTechnology
Data Center Backlash Reshapes American Politics
A bipartisan grassroots backlash against AI data centers is becoming a kitchen-table election issue, forcing officials in both parties to recalibrate.
—8 min read
LocalBelgium
Antwerp Rejects Extra Toilets at Vogelenmarkt
Antwerp's city council has refused extra public toilets around the Theaterplein, where the Vogelenmarkt is held, despite a plea from chef Wim Ballieu.
—5 min read
PoliticsEurope
D'Orazio to Lead Walloon Cities Union With Fiscal Warning
Liberal mayor Samuel D'Orazio takes the helm of the UVCW, warning Walloon municipalities must either raise taxes or rationalise spending.
—5 min read
Local TrafficEurope
Sint-Truiden Truck Camera System Fails Before Rollout
Sint-Truiden's 120,000-euro ANPR camera system cannot reliably identify trucks, forcing police to enforce a new city-center delivery ban manually.
—4 min read
Local GovernmentFinance
Belgian Municipality Fights €2.8M Back-Tax Claim
Tongeren-Borgloon's municipal company challenges €2.77M back-VAT claim from Belgian tax authorities in court over inherited dossiers.
—4 min read
Local News
Liège Converts 3,000 Free Parking Spaces to Paid Zones
Liège converts nearly 3,000 free parking spaces to paid parking in Outremeuse and Fragnée from November 2026, sparking mixed reactions.
—5 min read
Local Government
Belgian City Fines Residents for Weeds on Sidewalks
Tienen, Belgium enforces sidewalk weed removal with GAS fines starting September 2026, part of a growing trend across Flemish municipalities.
—4 min read
Politics
Mechelen Opposition Demands Probe into Mayor Somers
All opposition parties in Mechelen demand an investigation into Mayor Bart Somers over a salary increase for his secretary on the police payroll.
—4 min read
Local
Antwerp Mayor Seals Deurne Apartment Used by Sex Workers
Acting Antwerp Mayor Els van Doesburg orders one-month sealing of Deurne apartment used by sex workers after police investigation.
—4 min read
Economy
All 31 Chinese Provinces Report Stable H1 Local Finances
China's 31 provinces report stable H1 2026 fiscal operations with 6.88 trillion yuan in local revenue, up 2.7% year-on-year.
—4 min read
Local NewsBelgium
Bredene to Fence Dunes Behind Nude Beach Over Misconduct
Bredene will completely fence the Spanjaardduin dunes behind its nude beach in 2027 after nearly 50 police reports for public indecency this season.
—4 min read
LocalPolitics
Colorado Town Declared Abandoned After All Officials Resign
Colorado has declared Hartman, a town of 30, abandoned after all officials resigned, leaving residents without government and a worsening water crisis.
—4 min read
SocietyPolitics
Sexism and Isolation: Women in Wallonia's Local Politics
A survey of 700 women elected officials in Wallonia reveals persistent sexism, work-life struggles, and isolation despite progress in representation.
—5 min read
PoliticsEconomy
Plan Oxygène: 100M Euros Spent on Struggling Walloon Towns
Wallonia's Plan Oxygène has cost 100 million euros since 2022, covering loan interest for 27 struggling municipalities.
—4 min read
Local GovernmentEconomy
Molenbeek's 'Truth Budget': €312,000 Deficit, 40 Layoffs
Molenbeek-Saint-Jean presents a 'truth budget' with a €312,000 deficit, 40 layoffs, and reduced bonuses as the Brussels commune faces financial pressures.
—4 min read
PoliticsLocal Government
Brussels Region to Place Saint-Josse Under Supervision
Brussels-Capital Region moves to place Saint-Josse-ten-Noode under coercive supervision for financial mismanagement, a first in 50 years.
—4 min read
PoliticsEconomy
Belgian Municipalities Take Lead on Cadastral Income Reform
Belgian municipalities are bypassing federal inaction to update the 50-year-old cadastral income system, aiming for fairer property taxation.
—4 min read
EnvironmentClimate
Al Gore Updates Climate Message as Cities Step Up on Action
Twenty years after 'An Inconvenient Truth,' Al Gore updates his climate message as U.S. cities and states fill the gap left by federal rollbacks.
—5 min read
PoliticsInfrastructure
California Mayors Revolt Over Newsom Rail Tax Plan
Ten California mayors are pushing back against a state plan to redirect local tax revenues to fund the troubled $126B high-speed rail project.
—5 min read