by Liam Porter, Inishowen Independent
HARD-PRESSED businesses in Donegal may not have to
face increases in commercial rates this year
following confirmation that local Fianna Fail
councillors are not prepared to support a rates hike
in this year’s council budget.
Speaking to the Inishowen Independent, Cllr Francis
Conaghan, the Fianna Fail party whip on the council
confirmed that his party members had met to discuss
the forthcoming council budget and agreed on a
course of action.
“Following our meeting we informed the County
Manager Michael McLoone that we would not be in a
position to support any increase in rates or any
increases in water charges this year.”
Councillor Conaghan said the Fianna Fail members had
decided it was fair to give the County Manager
advance notice of their position to help him and his
staff in their efforts in formulating a budget.
“We didn’t want a situation whereby the Manager
would come before the council seeking rates
increases and then finding that we were unable to
support them. He knows now our position and it will
be a case now of trying to come up with alternative
methods of funding.”
Councillor Conaghan said that the council had seen
its funding from the Local Government Funding
reduced but that there was potential for funding
through the levy on non-principal residences.
“While I would have some concerns about the fact
that the money from this levy will at first go into
a central pot, there is a potential for the council
to raise between €1.5 million and €2 million from
this measure. It is gratifying to see that the
proposal that was Donegal County Council’s
submission to the Indecon Report has now been
adopted, but it is a pity that it is coming in at a
time when our funding from other sources has been
cut.”
That said, councillor Conaghan said the councillors
feel that hard-pressed businesses cannot be expected
to carry the brunt by shouldering increases in rates
or water charges this year.
“In the current situation we need to everything we
can support businesses and the council will have to
look at alternative sources of funding. We’re going
to have to cut our cloth to measure,” councillor
Conaghan concluded. |
