Two per cent decrease in business rates in Roscommon

Rates on businesses in Roscommon are to fall by two per cent, it has been agreed. Fianna Fail, Independents and Sinn Fein members of the council agreed the two per cent figure, in opposition to Fine Gael and the Hospital Action Group who proposed five per cent and ten per cent decreases, but were accused of not putting forward enough data to back up their figures. Roscommon County Manager Frank Dawson said that over the past 18 months employee numbers in the county council had been reduced through the loss of 46 indoor and 24 outdoor staff, due to retirements, expiration/non-renewal of contracts and untimely deaths in service. There was also a three per cent reduction in 2009 over 2008 payroll costs. He revealed to the members during the budget meeting that there was a 10% reduction in the Local Government Fund in 2010, over that for 2009, from €21,765,459 to €19,588,900. "There was a further reduction of €700,000 in the Local Government Fund announced in July," said Mr Dawson. The budget proposed to increase the price of water by 12 cent to €1.04 per cubic metre. A cubic metre of water is 220 gallons or 1000 litres. Waste water charges were increased by 15 cents to €1.35 per cubic metre. Burial ground grants and amenity grants will remain the same level as was in 2009. Housing maintenance has been reduced by €346,100. This means that Roscommon County Council may not be in a position to provide matching funding if the Department provides part funding towards specific improvement works such as energy efficiency measures, according to the County Manager. "While budgetary constraints have necessitated a reduction of €500,000 in our own contribution to local roads in 2010, a sum of €2,191,200 is being made available for roads from Roscommon County Council's own resources," said Mr Dawson. The library book fund has been reduced by €300,000, but he said that Roscommon has been spending double the national average under this heading for the last few years. The tourism budget for the county has been reduced by €70,900. Expenditure for works on local authority housing included for 2010 is €848,700, a reduction of 41% on the 2009 budget. Fine Gael and the Hospital Action Group councillors wanted the budget to be deferred for a few weeks, so as to write to central government and look for more funding. It was imperative that the budget be passed by January 13th, 2010 A counter-proposal by Fianna Fail, the Independents, and Sinn Fein to this was for the council to go ahead with a two percent decrease in business rates. The counter-proposal vote was held first, and it succeeded by fourteen votes to twelve. South Roscommon's Cllrs Paddy Kilduff, John Keogh, Jimmy Kenny and Mayor Tony Ward voted for the decrease of two per cent. Cllrs John Naughten and Ollie Moore voted against the proposal. The two per cent decrease involved the councillors agreeing to forgoing 22 ½ percent of expenses for conferences, and to abolish their mobile phone allowances. They also agreed to cut the Mayor of Roscommon's allowance for the next five years by ten percent. The council also agreed to provide €150,000 for the gritting of roads in inclement weather. However this money was taken out of the roads programme. €75,000 will be taken out of the local roads programme, and €75,000 from a discretionary roads fund. "It was a mammoth task for the Finance Director to do the budget in such difficult times, and we'd all to see rates reduction, and we have all played our part to reduce the rates by 2%," said Cllr John Keogh, Fianna Fail. "As for Fine Gael's 5%, I wonder how it fits into their policy nationally, because Richard Bruton supported a reduction in current expenditure. I haven't seen how they propose to reduce it by 5%." Fine Gael's Cllr John Naughten said that the mismanagement of the economy by the Fianna Fail government has brought the country to a deflation for the first time since the 1930's. He said that now the council is in a position to provide a 5% decrease, and there is no need to pass the budget until there is an increase in local government funding. "We should lobby our local Minister (Finneran), and from that we should be able to deliver 5%," said Cllr Naughten. "The 12 cents increase in water charges will have a huge impact for South Roscommon farmers, who have already had a 30% drop in their income, and they are already hard pressed." Independent, Cllr Jimmy Kenny said that a lot of people won't like the budget, and that he has been under pressure from many in South Roscommon. "We could go to central government for more money, but we have to be realistic," said Cllr Kenny. Mayor Tony Ward said he sat on the policy committee which decided the finances, alongside many other councillors and the Directors of Services and County Manager. "When I came in here I said I wouldn't vote for 5% increase, and when I look over the past five years, there was a 25% increase, and now we have looked at figures, and in the lifetime of this council we want to reduce rates," said the Mayor. "I'm not happy with the 12 cents increase, because I come from a farming community, but we have to sit down and look at all aspects of general expenses, with an honest approach." Fianna Fail's Cllr Paddy Kilduff said that for the first time in 26 years, there would be no increase in Roscommon rates. "It's magnificent to go for 2% decrease and it's easy for across the floor (Fine Gael) to say 5 and 10%, but nobody has said how," said Cllr Kilduff. "They had an opportunity to go for 0% last year, but wouldn't take a cut in their wages." Cllr Naughten said that a withdrawal of library services is very negative, and he asked for a letter to be written to the Department of Education to maintain that funding. The County Manager said that the cost of improvement works on flooded areas will run into millions, and he said he would be making a formal submission to the government shortly. Majella Flanagan, revealed that €1.1 million was spent on the flooding situation in Roscommon during the 7-8 day crisis. She said that the council will be making a submission in co-operation with Galway County Council for further funding in the new year.