Tervuren’s €74mn spending plan for 2026–31 is set to raise the town’s debt from nearly €23mn in 2025 to €40.7mn by 2030, though Mayor Thomas Geyns said the increase remains under control.
Town councilors approved the plan at an almost 5 hour monthly meeting on Dec. 18.
“Taxes are not rising,” Geyns said. A one-off transfer of debt and the GITO technical school building to the public education network GO lowered debt from €41mn in 2024.
Cost overruns remain a concern. The Berg Termunt football stadium more than doubled in price to €3.1mn when it opened in 2024. Renovation of the cultural centre (then Papeblok in Pastoor Vandersandestraat), initially budgeted in 1998 at about €2.2mn, ultimately cost €13mn, albeit in a new building opposite the town hall (Warandepoort, Foyer).
Larger projects include a €10mn master plan for the Zoniën residential care site by 2031, possibly incorporating a medical center. Other projects discussed this year include a €20mn overhaul of the Diependal sports complex and Nettenberg youth facilities, and €10mn for Moorsel school.
Architect fees of 8% to 12% could further raise costs. Geyns said Tervuren’s long-term finances remain secure.
Smaller projects include €3 million for affordable housing and €4 million for a town museum. In addition, €200,000 has been allocated to develop new planning rules that will allow “managed” densification in the town centre, village cores, and along Leuvensesteenweg (N3) by 2027.
Geyns criticized the previous administration led by former mayor Marc Charlier (N-VA) for focusing on debt reduction, though the N-VA cut his original €100mn proposal to €73mn even as a junior coalition partner.
“He gave the impression that investment came to a halt during the previous legislative term. That is, of course, not the case,” said N-VA councillor Ralph Pakket. “We mainly spent less. We reduced the debt from €70 million to €20 million,” Pakket said, before being cut off by council chair Mario Van Rossum.
