wethouders

Wethouders are members of the College van Burgemeester en Wethouders, the executive branch of a municipality in the Netherlands. They are responsible for the day-to-day administration and the preparation and implementation of municipal policies. Together with the mayor, they coordinate the work of the municipal civil service and represent the municipality in external matters. Each wethouder is typically responsible for a specific policy area, such as finance, housing, spatial planning, education, public health, mobility, or culture.

The college consists of the mayor and several aldermen. The number of aldermen varies by municipality. Aldermen are appointed by the municipal council on the proposal of the mayor, and they can be chosen from among council members or from outside the council. Their term usually aligns with the council term (often four years) and they can be dismissed by the council. Aldermen are expected to work collaboratively to form a coherent governing coalition and to ensure continuity in policy execution.

Aldermen report to the municipal council and are accountable to it for the policies and administration under their portfolios. The mayor chairs the college and serves as the public face of the municipal government, as well as the link to the provincial and national levels of government. The system is designed to separate political leadership from day-to-day administration, while maintaining direct accountability to the elected council.

In Belgium, the equivalent position in Dutch-speaking areas is the schepen; while the Dutch term wethouder is primarily used in the Netherlands, the concept and function share similarities with other regional executive roles in local government.