Managing council budgets ‘difficult’

MANAGING local authority budgets is an almost impossible task due to their inadequate share of central government taxes, Cork-based Fine Gael Cllr Jim Corr has said.

Mr Corr, a member of the corporate police group and finance committee of Cork City Council, was responding to recent criticism by Cork business organisations of the city’s rates and service charges.

The business groups called for free parking on Saturdays to bring shoppers into the city. They also want any monies recouped through local authority cutbacks to stay in the city, rather than find their way to central government coffers.