Friso BaaijLast updated 3 months ago by Michael Darmanin
Yesterday, behind closed doors, the Utrecht city council formed a confidential group of 12 members to help hire a new mayor for Utrecht. This follows the departure of beloved former mayor Jan van Zanen who was called upon to lead Den Haag as their new mayor earlier this year. The search for talent includes a short, well produced welcome video created to familiarize potential candidates about the city and the region.
Councilman Jony Ferket said the city has also released a profile of preferences, with guidelines and requirements for the mayorial position. Part of these recommendations came from public feedback over what our new mayor should look like.
In the last two months, over a thousand comments and suggestions were considered, and several trends emerged. These included hiring a woman, and perhaps someone younger as long as they have strong ties to the city. Being approachable and well spoken were also mentioned as important traits. The complete list of preferences can be found here (in Dutch) as a reference graphic produced by the city.
[gard align=’left’]The King’s Commissioner, Hans Ooster, received these recommendations overnight and they will become an important part of the hiring process moving forward. Applications can now be sent to the commissioner until September 11, 2020 using this pdf as a guide. The secret committee then hopes to finish the interviews soon after and make a decision in time for the Christmas holidays. Until then, acting mayor Peter den Oudsten will continue in the position during the appointment process is complete.
