Kerry council managers oppose property tax cuts

Senior management on Kerry County Council is opposed to any reductions in the Local Property Tax, though the council has the power to reduce it.

At a meeting in advance of forthcoming budget discussions, head of finance, Angela McAllen proposed a freeze on the unpopular tax for 2015, with a 1% increase each year after that for four years.

Environment Minister Alan Kelly recently included Kerry among local authorities which are in a position to cut the tax by 4.2% — which would leave the council in a break-even situation next year, with the same level of funding as 2014. Councils have the power to increase or decrease the property tax by 15%.

Financial documents circulated to Kerry councillors show the council faces a budget deficit of €1.5m in the coming year

Money raised through the proposed increase would be ring-fenced for a special housing and community development fund.

Sinn Féin is the strongest opponent of the property tax and yesterday, the party’s Damien Quigg said many people were simply unable to afford it.

Meanwhile, councillors in the Killarney area are coming under pressure from business people in the tourist town not to vote for a proposed increase in commercial rates.

Killarney Chamber of Tourism and Commerce president Johnny McGuire has signalled his organisation’s opposition to any increase and warned that any increases could put some traders out of business.