Athlone business group wants 20% rates cut

Commercial rates paid by Athlone businesses should be cut by 20%, and local councillors should no longer receive expenses or conference allowances. That was the view expressed by members of the Irishtown and Mardyke Street Traders' Association at a meeting it held last week. The association is to hold a further meeting of all rate payers in the town to discuss these issues. This will be held in the Sheraton Hotel on Tuesday, February 23, at 8pm. Hugh Lawlor, the chairman of the Irishtown and Mardyke Street Traders' Association, said mounting overheads were making it "almost impossible" for many local traders to stay in business. "The council agreed not to increase rates this year. While this is helpful, it is not enough," said Mr Lawlor. He said many members of the traders' association made it clear at last week's meeting that they were struggling to keep their doors open. "Should these businesses close down, the council will lose more than what a reduction in rates would cost," he stated. "It's time for payback, as this recession is hitting everyone and the people paying rates need help. Few of the councillors who were elected pay rates, so they don't realise the burden on those who do pay them." The traders' group is calling for a 20% reduction in rates and is also asking Athlone Town Council to stop paying mileage expenses and conference allowances to local councillors. "The councillors are entitled to be paid a wage for their time but there should be no expenses or payments outside of that," said Mr Lawlor. He said the feeling at the traders' meeting was that the Town Council executive was "not aware of the problems facing businesses in the town." Following its meeting last week, the group sent out a letter to local councillors. Written by its Honorary Secretary, Declan Ryan, the letter stated: "Athlone Town Council holding the rates at a level based on historic 'good trading' periods is unfair and unrealistic and punitive to existing ratepayers. It will tend to cause further closures and will discourage any new starts or investments in this area." It added: "While the council prides itself that the urban rates are only 1% higher than they were three years ago, may we ask you to compare the prices of houses, office blocks or levels of renting or letting over that same period, and you will find decreases of up to 40% instead of a 1% increase. These are the real percentages that apply in business today." Mr Lawlor stated that a number of other issues were raised at the traders' meeting last week. The one-way traffic system was discussed and - while there are no immediate plans to reintroduce it - the traders felt that a meeting to discuss the system should be held before its possible reintroduction. In addition, the traders also wished to see the installation of a pedestrian crossing outside the Permanent TSB bank on Mardyke Street, along with speed bumps in Irishtown. "Traffic speeds up in Irishtown in order to make it past the traffic lights when they're green. All of the local traders attending the meeting agreed that speed bumps should be put in place there," Mr Lawlor said.