Hourly pay parking rate increase among measures in Louth County Council's 2023 budget
The deciding vote of Cathaoirleach Conor Keelan was enough to pass Louth County Council's proposed 2023 budget at Monday’s council meeting.
Among revenue raising measures included in the budget is a rise of the hourly pay parking rate in Dundalk and Drogheda to €1.30.
Council tenants will also now pay a contribution of €1 per week towards the €90 the council pays per house per year as part of the Local Property Tax.
In her introductory budget notes, Louth County Council Chief Executive noted the “Uncertain and volatile background” she found herself preparing the budget in.
“We started 2022 still in the grip of the Covid Pandemic. By the end of February all staff had returned on a full-time basis to offices and other locations, and it looked like things were returning slowly to "normal". That all changed with the invasion of Ukraine which has left the Council, along with much of the world, grappling with a multiplicity of interlinked issues.”
She went on:
“I was very anxious not to make further cuts to existing budgets for council services and programmes and clearly this could only be achieved by seeking ways to increase Council income in 2023. I had again referred to the various possible income options at the September meetings.
“I have, therefore, included income in the Draft Budget from a number of increased charges.”
She further noted that the council had a legal requirement to equalise rates to have a single rate across Louth by 2024.
In order to achieve this and ensure there would be no net revenue losses, the budget proposed increasing rates outside of Dundalk and Drogheda (i.e. in areas outside the old Town Council areas) by 9.57%.
Rates in Dundalk and Drogheda will decrease by 4.3% and 3.4% respectively.
Overall, the budget forecasts an expenditure of €158.4 million on the Council’s work programme, which is an increase of some €18.2 million on 2022.
Within the provision of a three-year Capital Programme of circa €750 million is set out with a projected spend in 2023 of almost €213 million.
The Capital Programme plans for a spend of circa:
- €105 million on Housing made up of 52 projects comprised of a mix of individual and multi-unit accommodation
- €60 million on Roads which includes such items as Phase A of the highly awaited Port Access Northern Cross Route
- €10 million on Town Projects (including the Dunleer – Town Centre first plan)
- €19 million on Buildings (including works on regeneration of Ardee Castle, and provision of a new Fire Station in Dunleer)
- €7 million on Operations (including footpaths, bridges, and the FASTER project facilitating an Electric Vehicle Network)
- €2.6 million on Surface Water / Flooding & Coastal Erosion measures to future proof against Climate Change, while other Climate Action Measures plan for funding of almost half a million, while Landfills will cost another €1.3 million.
- Recreation & Amenities keeping Louth a beautiful place to live, work and play are allotted an estimated €7.5 million