Cavan council to meet on budget 2015

The elected members of Cavan County Council are set to meet later today, November 24, at 11am to decide on whether to adopt the provisions as set out in the proposed annual Budget for 2015.

It is the new unified authority's first budget following the abolition of Town Councils and their amalgamation with the county authority on June 1, and the decision that no local authority will receive less income from Local Property Tax in 2015 from the Local Government Fund compared to 2014.

Among the topics expected to be discussed is the level of funding for municipal authorities, and the possibility of Fine Gael members seeking once again to divert road funding for a Local Improvement Scheme for private laneways, a matter which sparked a walkout at the last budget meeting.

Another matter will be whether the county can continue to maintain the annual rate of valuation at €56.85 as they have done in previous years, given the growing financial constraints.

In neighbouring Monaghan, the annual budget meeting there, which took place last week, ended in consternation as members sought to adjourn it in the bid of seeking more funding from Government.

Despite a strong appeal by the chief executive of Monaghan County Council, Eugene Cummins, that the draft budget for the county be adopted at the annual budget meeting last week, the majority of the elected representatives voted to defer the decision until they can meet with the Minister to demand more funds.

Mr Cummins had insisted that there were no financial gaps in the budget. “In the budget as presented, there is nothing to prevent you adopting it,” he said.

The gross revenue expenditure set out in the draft budget, largely in line with 2014, was almost €54.7m, with rates to remain unchanged at 59.61 in the euro and the local property tax also unchanged.

However, a substantial number of the members voted in favour of a motion proposed by Hugh McElvaney (FG) to adjourn the meeting pending a meeting with the Minister for the Environment and Local Government, Alan Kelly, to seek further funding for the local authority for 2015.

Those tasked with meeting the Minister are Hugh McElvaney, Brian McKenna (SF), PJ O’Hanlon (FF) and Paudge Connolly (Ind) but time is ticking as the members have just 14 days to adopt the budget from the date of the first meeting, that deadline expires on Tuesday of next week, December 2.

The budget meeting was adjourned to Monday, December 1.

See this week's newspaper for full report...