Approved €73.7m budget paves the way for several major projects to progress

SLIGO County Council members approved a budget of €73.7m for 2023 when they met on Monday to consider the proposals at their annual budget meeting.

Anticipated to last four hours, the meeting concluded one hour earlier, with little or no objections voiced by councillors approving the budget, with one councillor Arthur Gibbons, Sinn Féin, abstaining when motions to approve the budget were formally adopted.

The members approved a 5% increase in rates in 2023 which was sought by chief executive Martin Lydon (pictured below) as part of an increase of 10% in rates over a fouryear period.

He said the increase was necessary to ensure the Council can invest in projects such as the Regional Growth Centre.

The budgeted expenditure for 2023 is €73,748,747 which is an increase of €3.3m on the 2022 overall budget. Pay related increases are €1.9m, Supplementary support of €935k along with the rates increase of

€707k make up the movement.

The big-ticket items, where the bulk of the €73.7m will be spent, include Road Transport & Safety - €24.2m; Housing & Building €14.8m; Environmental Services €7.8m; Development Management €6.7m; Recreation & amenity €6.6m; Water Services -€4.6m.

Income for that €73.7m budget comes from the following sources (last year’s figure in brackets): Rates €14,857,502 (€14,149,998: Local Property Tax Fund €10,875,829 (€11,007,018); Specific State Grants €30,030,468 (€26,735,445) Goods & Services €17,984,948 (€18,535,676). Marie Whelan, Head of Finance, said the 2023 Budget process was framed on the same basis as budget 2022, with very little movement overall on the spending Divisions. Parking Income has been reduced by €410,000 expected from loss of parking spaces and reductions over the past number of years.

Mr Lydon said as a Regional Growth Centre, the Council must ensure that Sligo delivers three key projects – the Eastern Garavogue Bridge; the Sligo Public Realm Plan; the City Campus Project.

“These projects alone will bring inward investment of €103m to the County and demonstrate a seriousness to grow in a planned and co-ordinated manner, unlocking lands for much needed housing development and improving the lives of existing and future citizens,” he said. He noted how in September the European Commission downgraded the North-West Region from “more developed” to “lagging”. The region is now ranked the 177th most competitive region out of 240 in the EU and, he said, faces challenges in the following areas: Low productivity; Low educational attainment; Weak skill base and business environment. “It is important that the Council along with other stakeholders such as the Atlantic Technology University, North-West Region Assembly and the private sector address these issues at a local level. This can be enabled by working in partnership to unlock the €1.4 billion available through Cohesion funds, but also ensuring we deliver on projects which in turn breed confidence and make Sligo the place to Live, Invest and Visit.”

Housing and Transport infrastructure, he said were critical considerations for 2023 and beyond: “The 2022 Census recorded a 6.5% increase in population at 69,819, up from 65,535 in 2016. 67% of the increase was due to inward migration to the county. The increase is welcome, especially in light of our Regional Growth Centre status, but it does bring pressure on local services such as education, health and housing.

“This is why housing, both public and private remain a key priority for the Council. The Housing Delivery Action Plan (HDAP), for the period 2022-2026, shows Sligo County Council will be responsible for delivering 590 homes. At the same time, it is important that developers start building. There are currently 19 multi-unit developments not commenced which would deliver 322 units and we need to find out the reasons as to why they are not progressing.

“Meetings have been held with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage in an attempt to find a solution to help unlock the market and an “Economic Appraisal for Affordable Housing” will be tendered in the next few weeks to identify potential areas which meet the criteria for such housing. Once the results of the appraisal are available, it will provide an opportunity for the Council to either develop some of our own lands or approach the developers in ownership of the 19 multi-unit developments with a proposal to kick start the local housing market.”

On roads he said: “It is essential there is continued investment in our road network. Unfortunately, it has not been possible to increase the level of funding for local roads from local resources as there was a need to balance demands, but this is an area which will need to be addressed in the coming years. There is however, TII funding available to continue with the new N17 Knock to Collooney road, with the emerging preferred transport corridor to be announced in January 2023.” He said the Council has an excellent relationship with TII and by working with elected members and the Chambers of Commerce they must stress the importance of upgrading all our National Primary routes as they provide an opportunity for the County to grow economically. “To help balance this investment, the Active Travel Team will continue with its work programme of delivering footpaths and cycleways, including a potential pathfinder project from Carraroe to the ATU Campus, passing through Pearse Road and the town centre,” he said.

He explained how Budget 2023 had to be framed against the backdrop of War in Ukraine and the impact that was having worldwide, and how meeting rising inflation was a challenge. In his opening words he addressed the importance and the scope of Sligo’s response to the war in Europe.

“Last year I highlighted the impact of Covid-19 and the impact it had upon service delivery and the everyday lives of people. Unfortunately, we are now faced with another unprecedented event in the shape of the Ukraine war and the associated geo-political environment, which has brought uncertainty and is having a real impact on the costs of delivering services and the finances of the citizens within the County.

“Since February, the State has accommodated 56,000 Ukrainian refugees, with 1,020 currently in Sligo.

“Local communities have welcomed refugees, playing an important role integrating them into Irish society and offering a welcome relief from the war by providing a safe environment. The Council together with Government and local stakeholders has made services available, such as accommodation, transport, and education through the Community Forum, which has been the vehicle used locally to co-ordinate a response to the crisis.

“Sligo County Council continues to deliver supports in addition to the services we are tasked with delivering to the people of Sligo and will be involved in enabling local stakeholders to react to issues surrounding the crisis for the foreseeable future,” he said.