The 2027 budget project for the Province of Liège anticipates a surplus, both in ordinary and extraordinary accounts. The rate of additional centimes on property tax will remain fixed at 1,750, unchanged since 2013. This fiscal stability allows the Province to continue supporting emergency services, whose financing it is progressively taking over, and to invest in its buildings and equipment.
« Despite a reform desired by the Walloon Government, which places us in a state of uncertainty, the College's will is to ensure the continuation and continuity of public services by presenting a surplus budget and financing a substantial extraordinary budget. We therefore continue to invest without touching the rate of additional centimes and taxation », explains the Provincial Deputy in charge of the Budget.
Excluding salary subsidies, the 2027 ordinary budget forecasts €404.81 million in revenue and €389.36 million in expenses, resulting in a surplus of €15.46 million. Personnel expenses amount to €236.26 million (approximately 2,600 non-teaching staff work for the Province), followed by transfers (€84.34 million), operating costs (€54.59 million), and debt charges (€14.17 million).
The majority of transfers are dedicated to emergency services. Since the Walloon Region entrusted the provinces with the gradual partial takeover of their financing, provincial intervention has increased from €11.9 million in 2020 to €56.8 million in 2026. It will reach €68.35 million in 2027, an increase of €11.5 million in one year. The contribution to emergency services thus represents more than one euro out of six of the Province's ordinary expenses, or approximately €60 per inhabitant.
The ordinary budget also supports other major provincial policies: mobile screenings, provision of provincial agents to municipalities, training for police officers, firefighters, and paramedics. The Province will also continue to assist municipalities in addressing climate change, support local agriculture, innovative health and social projects, and local information through regional televisions and radios.
In the extraordinary budget, expenses amount to €57.57 million, of which €54.93 million is allocated to works and investments. These will be financed notably by a withdrawal of €36.84 million from the ordinary budget and by the potential subscription of €18.62 million in loans. To concretely implement its priority projects, the Province will rely on ECETIA, which has framework agreements with specialized providers.
Education and Training: A new boarding school will be built at the IPEA La Reid, doubling its capacity. In Herstal, a hub combining a new secondary school, an adult training institute, and guidance services is planned. The IPES in Huy will undergo comprehensive renovation, and the Malvoz site will be transformed to host the IPEFA. At Val Benoît, a school complex dedicated to science and technology training is being studied. The new HEPL building in the Bavière district and the PRR projects in Seraing and Huy will be completed in 2027.
« The new boarding school at La Reid and the future hub in Herstal are concrete projects for our students and educational teams. Investing in our school buildings means investing in the quality of education », emphasizes the Provincial Deputy - President.
Civil Security: A flagship project of the legislature, the joint dispatching center for the province's six emergency services is entering a concrete phase, replacing the current four dispatching centers with a single hub. « The project is reaching a significant milestone today: the choice of the provincial site and the fitting out of the premises will mark its on-the-ground realization », states the Deputy in charge of Emergency Services and Civil Security. A first test phase is planned for early 2028.
The Province will also strengthen training for emergency professions, adapting it further to natural disasters, as the Fagnes fire highlighted the need, and will further modernize the Laundry Treatment Center, which is currently testing the maintenance of fire uniforms for firefighters of the HEMECO zone.
Culture and Tourism: The LaBD Festival will become an annual event in April. Le Kollector, a center for contemporary art and crafts, will open its doors in the second half of 2027. At the Musée de la Vie wallonne, initial renovation work will begin, and the permanent exhibition route will be modernized with new technologies. Renovation of the Château de Jehay will continue. Cycling and walking networks will expand. At the Domaine touristique de Palogne, a new sustainable and versatile accommodation facility is being studied.
Sport: Planned works in 2027 for sports facilities aim to make them accessible to more people and enable the Province to host international events. In Huy, the Province Raquettes Arena is intended to host the Ethias Province Open. The Province Ballons Arena will accommodate matches from the BNXT League and national basketball and volleyball games. The Province Naimette Arena is preparing to host international rugby matches. At Val Benoît, the Province continues to study an infrastructure dedicated to basketball.
Infrastructure: In terms of infrastructure investment, the Province will continue developing and modernizing its facilities in several strategic areas, including health (Saint-Laurent site), environment (biodiversity hub at Argenteau), and administrative services (renovation of the Rotonde des Chiroux). « For several years, we have been pursuing a policy of rationalizing our real estate assets », notes the Provincial Deputy in charge of Infrastructure, mentioning the reallocation of the Charlemagne building and the sale of the Kennedy and Opéra sites.
