Councillors face decision over refuse charge

IT could be Dungarvan’s version of High Noon today when the 23 members of Waterford County Council convene to consider the book of estimates and attempt to adopt a county rate for 2006.

That in itself will be difficult, given the council’s current dire financial situation. However the councillors will also be confronted by protesters from the Ring Gaeltacht who are up in arms over the local authority’s planning strategy which they insist is putting its very future at serious risk.

When the councillors begin to consider the 2006 estimates they will have before them a report from county manager Ray O’Brien disclosing a projection of record expenditure of almost €64 million in the coming year. However the projected income for the twelve months is €59m leaving a shortfall of just under €5m.

The most crippling single debt is the €10m bill it will cost to rehabilitate the two council owned landfills at Dungarvan and Tramore and for which there is no funding in the kitty.

Councillors will be asked to come up with an annual flat charge of €150 in addition to the various refuse charges that already exist. Many have said they will not back the charge, but the county manager is adamant that the books just cannot be balanced for the coming year without it.

Its unlikely in the extreme that today’s meeting will adopt a new county rate with many councillors living in hope that the Government will consider Waterford a special case for additional funding.