Municipal executive

In the Netherlands, the municipal executive (college van burgemeester en wethouders, college of mayor and aldermen) is the executive board of a municipality. It plays a central role in municipal politics in the Netherlands, similar to the communal college in Belgium. It consists of the mayor and the members of the municipal executive (aldermen). The mayor (burgemeester, sometimes translated as 'burgomaster') is the chairperson of the municipal executive, and therefore holds the casting vote in the event of a tie. Their role is comparable to the roles of the Prime Minister in the cabinet, the King's Commissioner in the provincial executives, and the lieutenant governor in the executive councils of the Caribbean Netherlands. The mayor is appointed by the monarch (de facto by the Minister of the Interior) for a renewable six-year term. Like the aldermen, the mayor has a portfolio, which always includes public order and safety. Most mayors are members of a political party, but they are expected to carry out their tasks in a non-partisan manner. The aldermen (also alderwomen or alderpersons; wethouders) are the board members of the municipal executive. Their role is comparable to the roles of the ministers in the cabinet and the deputies in the provincial executives. Other common translations include deputy mayors, vice mayors and portfolio holders, although the former titles may be reserved for aldermen who are empowered to act for the mayor in their absence (locoburgemeester). After every municipal election, the aldermen are elected to the municipal executive by the members of the municipal council. Usually, they elect sitting members of the municipal council, but it is also possible to nominate people from outside the council. Unlike aldermen in English-speaking countries, wethouders cannot simultaneously be members of the municipal council. Therefore, municipal councillors must resign their seats when they are elected into the office of alderman. The municipal council also holds the power to remove an alderman from office by means of a motion of no confidence.