Estimates meeting next week
A WEEK before city councillors approve the estimates for 2010, the Limerick Post has had it confirmed that the estimated cost for running the city next year is €88.5million, compared to €88.7 million for 2009. One councillor has already asked his colleagues to look into their own hearts and cut out unnecessary expenses and payments.
The city manger has decided not to increase the commercial rate for a fourth year.
However, Cllr Joe Leddin and Cllr Kieran O’Hanlon, argue this concession is not sufficient.
“Given that businesses in the city are struggling to stay afloat and that many have gone to the wall, we’d like to see a reduction in the commercial rate. Labour will put forward our proposal for a rates reduction, even if it means cutting the allowances of councillors, including for overseas travel.
I think that with a bit of collective goodwill across the entire council, there is scope to find money to allow a rates reduction for the business sector, which has its back to the wall at the moment,” Cllr Leddin told this newspaper.
Cllr O’Hanlon is calling for the abolition of water rate charges to voluntary sports clubs. He said that savings could be made by cutting other costs.
“In this economic crisis, it’s ridiculous that councillors get €6,000 annually to chair SPC meetings – chairs of meetings get €1,500 per meeting, which is immoral – actually one particular councillor gets €12,000 a year for chairing meetings. It’s also time to cut out junkets. – I know that the Sinn Fein councillor, the four Labour councillors and two Independents, are of the same mind but that doesn’t give us a majority.”
It is the elected representatives that vote to have a budget passed for the city and as they absorb details of the city manager’s book of estimates prior to voting on the issue next Tuesday, it emerges that the €1million realised from the second home property tax will allow the city’s pedestrianisation programme to continue on a scaled down basis.
Road maintenance funding is down by €100,000 and a small reduction in the wheelie bin waiver scheme is also forecast.
Cllr Jim Long said that the nine Fine Gael members will be making their own input to the Estimates debate but that they are not ruling out a reduction in the commercial rate.
