SPLIT OPINIONS ON HIKE IN LOCAL PROPERTY TAX

HOUSEHOLDERS ARE NOT HAPPY BUT COUNCILLORS ARE STICKING TO THEIR GUNS: LPT WILL GO UP 5% IN WEXFORD NEXT YEAR. HERE, TWO COUNCILLORS OUTLINE OPPOSING VIEWS. INTERVIEWS BY DAVID LOOBY

WEXFORD County Council Chairman Paddy Kavanagh said he has spoken to his Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and Labour colleagues, who all voted in favour of the tax hike at the meeting of Wexford County Council in late September, adding that nobody said they had come in for criticism.

Cllr Kavanagh said: ‘I have yet to meet anyone who is unhappy about it. All the councillors said they had no phone calls about it.’

Justifying the decision, which will mean a €9.60 increase in property taxes on average across the various bands in 2017 and potentially for the following two years, Cllr Kavanagh said: ‘We examined the figures and the average payment will be €9.60 per year. Based on that figure the rise will give us €604,000.

‘€200,000 of that is ringfenced for community involvement schemes on byroads where householders are prepared to contribute through money, machinery or their time. From our experience they have worked exceedingly well. Every district will get €50,000.’

The remaining €400,000 will be ringfened for economic and tourism developments across the county.

‘ The county manager gave us a presentation outlining how he intends to invest between €4m and €4.5m in each district over the next couple of years. I don’t like to be in a position as a public representative to have to raise revenue but €9.60 for every household is not too much to ask.

‘If every household got the same presentation that we got, I’m sure they would vote in favour of this increase also.’

Cllr Kavanagh said the county has little or no jobs and little or no prospect of jobs.

‘We have been ignored by the IDA over successive Governments for the last 20 to 30 years in this county. At the presentation Tom Enright felt very confident that we would be able to put an industrial unit into Enniscorthy on a site we are acquiring in the town. He is confident he will be able to attract industry to go into it generating revenue from rates. It’s a kick start because we are not getting any great help from Government.’

When asked as if he, as a Fine Gael councillor, was satisfied with this state of affairs, Cllr Kavanagh said: ‘It’s my Government and it’s everybody’s Government.

‘I would level criticism at any Government but I do think Wexford has been neglected for a long time. We have invested in bypasses for Enniscorthy and for New Ross so we have to be ready when these bypasses are finished with infrastructure and IDA type units so employers will locate in these towns which will be a much shorter driving distance from Dublin.’

He said councillors will vote next Autumn and the following Autumn on whether to keep the 5 per cent rate or not. ‘ I would hope it will be applicable for the remaining three years,’ he said.

“I have yet to meet anyone who is unhappy. All the councillors said they had no phone calls about it”