A good many cities and municipalities have been sounding the alarm about their shaky financial status in recent times. They are faced with having less and less money to spend on more and more things. As for how the Vlaamse Rand municipalities are shaping up financially, reports by 12 of the 19 local authorities show that there is no immediate cause for concern about impending dire straits in the region. The 2013 budgets for their specific working years, are, admittedly, often in the red but there is a healthy supply of financial reserves, while the final annual accounts are generally balanced. However, further measures will be required in most areas in the coming year in order to maintain a financial balance, partly owing to the stricter accounting regulations the Flemish Government is imposing on the municipalities, starting from next year. (RK, juni 2013)