Ballina Town Council adjourns budget meeting

Ballina Town Council adjourns budget meeting


Anton McNulty
antonmcnulty@mayonews.ie

Ballina Town Councillors will have to come back another day to adopt the 2013 council budget after they agreed to adjourn the meeting in order to consider the budget proposals.
The budget meeting had lasted in excess of two hours when Fine Gael councillor Mark Winters proposed adjourning the meeting in full to a further date after the Town Manager, Paul Benson had outlined the proposed budget and answered questions from the councillors.
Mr Benson disagreed with the proposal to adjourn the meeting saying there was no need to do so but the proposal was seconded by Cllr Johnnie O’Malley and gained the support of the other councillors who claimed issues needed to be resolved before they adopt the budget.
The 2013 budget of €6,923,974 was outlined by the town manager with the expenditure on par with 2012 and as a result there were no changes to the commercial rate. Mr Benson explained that the rate was six per cent lower than Mayo County Council’s rate while Westport Town Council’s rate was eight per cent lower and Castlebar’s was higher than Mayo County Council’s.
With the town councils due to be abolished in 18 months, Mr Benson said he was not sure how the rate will be calculated when Mayo County Council sets the rates for the three towns.
“Unfortunately it seems the abolition of the Town Councils is to go ahead and the rate will need to be merged. I hope Mayo County Council reduce [their rate] …. [and] it is not the situation where we have to raise the rate but I have no control over it. It is up to the Minister,” he said.
Commenting on the situation, Cllr Johnnie O’Malley said that if they have to raise the rates in the town by six per cent next year, it ‘might be the straw that breaks the camel’s back’ for a number of businesses in Ballina.
Independent Cllr Peter Clarke explained that the Christmas period was one of the best shopping periods in Ballina for a number of years but also feared that a six per cent rate increase will kill a number of businesses. He criticised the Fine Gael councillors on Mayo County Council for being ‘yes people whipped by the party whip’ and not good for businesspeople.
The councillors agreed to recommence the budget meeting on Wednesday, January 23 at 6pm where they will adopt a budget.

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