Sabrina Koster
Tonight on the city council agenda: dog tax. It recently emerged that Velsen is one of the most expensive municipalities in the Netherlands in terms of dog taxes, we are in 8th place in the top 10. This year, having one dog costs €103 euros. The municipal council will look at the tax figures and consider to what extent this system should still be maintained.
The advantages and disadvantages of abolishing the tax will be discussed by the municipal council on Thursday evening, October 19. During this council session, council members will delve into the dog tax figures.
The IJmuider Courant published an explanation of those figures last week. When examining these figures, it becomes clear that dog owners pay for facilities such as posts with poop bags, trash cans, signage around off-leash areas and enforcement. But a large part of the proceeds also goes to the wage costs of enforcement, management and direction of the tax. A number of parties in the municipal council wonder whether this is the right way.
The city council will delve into the figures tonight and further consider whether to leave the dog tax as is, reduce it, or even abolish it.
In any case, dog owners hope for the tax to be abolished. It is no longer mentioned these days. Some say they see little of the facilities. “We can also buy a lot of poop bags ourselves for 100 euros a year,” says one lady.