Cork City Council to elect 31 councillors
Cork City Council is the local authority of the city of Cork. As a city council, it is governed by the Local Government Act 2001. Before 1 January 2002, the council was known as Cork Corporation. The council is responsible for housing and community, roads and transportation, urban planning and development, amenity and culture, environment and the management of some emergency services (including Cork City Fire Brigade). The council has 31 elected members. The head of the council is elected on an annual basis and has the title of Lord Mayor, currently Cllr Kieran McCarthy (Ind). The city administration is headed by a chief executive, Ann Doherty. The council meets at City Hall, Cork, with staff numbers in the region of 1,500.
Cork City Council agreed an expenditure budget of €292 million for 2024 at the annual budget meeting, an increase of approximately €24 million in spending compared to 2023.Census 2022 recorded a population of 224,004 people, with 91, 107 homes recorded, as well as 5,061 vacant properties and 192 holiday homes in the city area.
The main contributors to the increase in expenditure are an increase in budget to homeless services of €200,000, an increase in the Capital Advance Leasing Facility/Mortgage to Rent of €10.8 million, an increase in Croí Cónaithe funding of €4.7 million and an increase in payroll of €8.2 million.
In September 2022, Cork City Council voted that the Local Adjustment Factor (LAF) of Local Property Tax (LPT) in Cork city would vary upwards by 9%, for both 2023 and 2024. As the LAF was set for both 2023 and 2024, no statutory meeting was required to set the LAF on LPT for 2024.
Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr. Kieran McCarthy, said: "This budget enables Cork City Council to continue to deliver essential services but also build on the progress that has been made in achieving its strategic goals. We make Cork a better place to live, work and invest in. Much great work has been pursued in the life of this Council across aspects such as housing, sustainable transportation, community life, climate action and in particular there has been a strong focus on creating new recreational areas. Cork City Council’s Budget 2024 gives us the opportunity to continue this momentum."
Cork City Council chief executive, Ann Doherty, said: “The budget provides funding measures aimed at addressing some strategically important areas and provides a reasonable balance across the competing objective of developing the social, cultural, economic, environmental and infrastructural needs of the city in a socially inclusive manner that council is charged with progressing.”
The elected members voted 25 in favour of adopting the budget and 3 against.
BOUNDARY CHANGES
Further information: 2019 Cork boundary change The area under the administration of Cork City Council was expanded in 1840, 1955, 1965 and most recently in 2019 just after the last local elections
The area was extended from 31 May 2019, taking in territory under the administration of Cork County Council. This implemented changes under the Local Government Act 2019.
The 2015 Cork Local Government Review recommended merging Cork City Council and Cork County
Council into a single "super council", within which a metropolitan district council would govern the Metropolitan Cork area; however, a minority report opposed the merger. This was subsequently followed in 2017 by a report published by an expert advisory group recommending a city boundary extension. The city boundary was to be extended to include Little Island, Cork Airport, Ballincollig, Blarney and Carrigtwohill, adding a population of over 100,000, however, the final extension did not include either Little Island or Carrigtwohill. Cobh, Carrigaline and Midleton, as well as Ringaskiddy, the centre of the Port of Cork, remained part of the county. The report gives parameters for compensation to be paid by the city to the county for the consequent reduction in its revenue. The revised proposal was welcomed by Micheál Martin but criticised by some county councillors. The city council voted unanimously to accept it.
Barry Roche of The Irish Times wrote that the Mackinnon Report "has proven almost as divisive as its predecessor", except with the city and county councils' positions reversed. On 6 June, 2018 Cabinet approval was given for the boundary extension, to include the surrounding areas of Cork Airport, Douglas and others.
REGIONAL ASSEMBLY
Cork City Council is represented on the Southern Regional Assembly
In Cork City, 31 members representing 5 Local Electoral Areas (LEAs) will be elected.
Nominations: The period for receipt of nominations for the local elections begins at 10am on Saturday, May 11, 2024 and ends at 12 noon on Saturday, May 18, 2024.
Cork City Hall will be the count centre for Cork City local elections with the count beginning on June 8 and likely lasting at least 2 days.
Local Electoral Areas for June 7th are as follows:
CORK CITY NORTH EAST: Blackpool A, Blackpool B, Mayfield, Montenotte A, Montenotte B, St. Patrick’s A, St. Patrick’s B, St. Patrick’s C, The Glen A, The Glen B, Tivoli A, Tivoli B, St. Mary’s (part), Caherlag (part), Rathcooney (part), Riverstown (part).
CORK CITY NORTH WEST: Churchfield, Commons, Fair Hill A, Fair Hill B, Fair Hill C, Farranferris A, Farranferris B, Farranferris C, Gurranabraher A, Gurranabraher B, Gurranabraher C, Gurranabraher D, Gurranabraher E, Knocknaheeny, Shanakiel, Shandon A, Shandon B, Sundays Well A, Sunday's Well B, St. Mary’s (part), Blarney (part), Carrigrohanebeg (part), Matehy (part), Whitechurch (part)
CORK CITY SOUTH CENTRAL: Ballyphehane A, Ballyphehane B, Centre A, Centre B, City Hall A, Evergreen, Gillabbey A, Gillabbey B, Gillabbey C, Greenmount, Mardyke, Pouladuff A, Pouladuff B, South Gate A, South Gate B, The Lough, Togher B, Tramore A, Tramore B, Tramore C, Turners Cross A, Turners Cross B, Turners Cross C, Turners Cross D, Lehenagh (part), Douglas (part)
CORK CITY SOUTH EAST: Ballinlough A, Ballinlough B, Ballinlough C, Browningstown, City Hall B, Knockrea A, Knockrea B, Mahon A, Mahon B, Mahon C, Douglas (part), Carrigaline (part), Monkstown Rural (part)
CORK CITY SOUTH WEST: Bishopstown A, Bishopstown B, Bishopstown C, Bishopstown D, Bishopstown E, Glasheen A, Glasheen B, Glasheen C, Togher A, Bishopstown, Lehenagh (part), Ballincollig (part), Ballygarvan (part), Inishkenny (part), Ovens (part).