Claremorris councillors refuse draft budget

Austin Garvin

Councillors in the Claremorris Municipal District refused to adopt the area’s draft budget.
At last Wednesday’s monthly meeting, councillors heard from Director of Services Paddy Mahon that the budget was to be cut by €20,000 for 2016, from €415,000 to €395,000.
This led to a lengthy debate on the budget figure.
Cllr Richard Finn was adamant that the Claremorris Municipal District should not accept the proposal.
“We shouldn’t accept any reduction. If we start taking a reduction in funding this will continue in the future. The minimum that we should accept is what we had in the past,” he stated.
Referring to the fact that funding is based on the takings from parking in each Municipal District Cllr Finn said, “It’s important that funding is the same across the county. Whoever is instigating a reduction in parking costs should look at the fact that we have given funding for good causes to such as clubs and societies.
“We have guaranteed money to those causes based on monies taken from parking.
“I feel that we should await the results of the pilot scheme in Ballinrobe before deciding on anything,” he stated.
Cllr Patsy O’Brien said, “We have entered into an agreement. It would be unfair to readjust. I fail to see why Ballina and Castlebar are getting more than us. It’s very unfair that we should have less. I personally feel that I couldn’t adopt the Plan because of the inequality attached to it,” he added.
Cllr Gerry Murray proposed that there should be a workshop put in place before any decision is taken. “We need to sit down at a workshop to trash it out. What do the Council want to do? What do they want to fund? Is there flexibility in parking? Have we a proposal to have a workshop on the matter?” he concluded.
Cllr Finn agreed.  
Meanwhile councillors in the Castlebar Municipal District nominally agreed to the draft figure of €550,000 but said they would argue at County Council level for €800,000.