Ballina Mayor lashes out over €20k chamber request

Ballina Mayor lashes out over €20k chamber request


Anna-Marie Flynn

A CHAMBER of Commerce submission detailing promotional plans costing €20,000 – half the Town Council’s €40,000 tourism budget – has met with an angered response from Ballina Mayor, Cllr Mary Kelly.
At the March monthly meeting last week, Town Clerk, Carmel Murphy, outlined the submission made by the business representative organisation which included a comprehensive list of promotional plans including an official relaunch of the revamped Pearse Street, the Jackie Clarke Library, Heritage Week, the All-Ireland Pipeband Championships in July, branded memory sticks, tourism surveys and the Better Ballina Christmas Shopping Festival 2010.
The Town Clerk recommended the Town Council ‘work with the Chamber of Commerce’ and outlined the €20,000 needed to fund the various plans.
However, Mayor Kelly said she was ‘angered and upset’ that the Chamber had not ‘had the courtesy’ to consult her as Mayor or, at least, all members together. She added that she felt ‘decisions and discussions had taken place’ prior to the submission.
“I think this is absurd. The Chamber of Commerce has all in place and what they are requesting here is €20,000 to take over the promotion of plans we have been working on,” she said.
In a lengthy debate, Independent Cllr Gerry Ginty admitted that in the past, he had reservations about the Chamber of Commerce, but said: “I am willing to cooperate with them if it will do something for the good of the town.” He went as far as to say: “I’d walk with the devil out of hell for the betterment of this town.”
Responding to the debate, Town Manager Paddy Mahon, said he had met with the Chamber of Commerce and said it is not ‘standard practice’ to invite councillors to meetings with groups and individuals that happen in the day-to-day running of the authority.
“I am hearing a lot about communication and exclusion. I will make no apology for meeting with any group or individual to discuss promoting or marketing this town,” he said.
“I don’t want the message to go out from this meeting that we do not want to co-operate with the Chamber of Commerce; that is not how this Town Council works,” he added. A copy of the proposals will be distributed to the elected members for further consideration.