Council’s €3.9 million rates write off criticised
LOUTH County Council ‘wrote off’ almost €4 million in rates owed by the end of 2017, it emerged at the monthly meeting of the local authority.
Councillors were informed in the CEO’s monthly report that €3,963,783 was written off by December 31st 2017.
Councillor Anne Campbell highlighted the amount that had been written off in comparison to the level of write offs for rents owed.
The report showed that €30,180 had been written off in monies owed by council tenants in rent.
Cllr. Mark Dearey also raised the issue, saying that in 2014 Louth had had one of the highest rates of write offs in the country, 20% higher than was written off in Donegal.
Cllr. Tommy Byrne criticised what he called ‘Celtic Tiger rates’, adding ‘It’s no wonder we have debts of €4million.’
But CEO Joan Martin said that no concessions were made.
She said that it is used largely for vacant properties, and that the local authority now makes 50 per cent write offs instead of 100 per cent.
The CEO added: ‘I am hoping we have hit a peak with write offs. It is a lot of money, money we could be doing with.’
Meanwhile Cllr. Frank Godfrey queried where the monies received from the Local Property Tax were being used, asking ‘what are the benefits to County Louth as it is a considerable amount of money.’
Joan Martin responded that there was no specific use for the funds from the local property tax.
She said that it was ‘not new money’ as it was simply part of the funds received by the local authority to operate.
She told members that it was actually less than the monies they would have received through the Local Government Fund.
‘ This is not new money, it is just part of the annual funds received.’