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Buncrana Council to spend €3.5m
13.01.10
by Damian Dowds, Inishowen Independent
BUNCRANA Town Council will meet tonight to discuss
its 2010 budget, with county manager Michael McLoone
proposing to freeze commercial rates at last year's
levels.
The draft budget, seen by the Inishowen Independent,
shows the Town Council expects to spend almost €3.5
million in 2010, up on its 2009 expenditure of €3.2
million. Commercial rates account for 39% of council
income, grants from central Government 31%, with a
further 30% coming from other receipts including
housing rents and parking fines and charges. |
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While the council is
projecting income of €1.3 million from commercial
rates in 2010, the county manager has increased the
provision for uncollected rates to €700,000. He adds
that the loss of commercial rates from Fruit of the
Loom has caused great difficulties and will continue
doing so until the former |
factory sites are
redeveloped.
The council is sitting on development fund nest egg
of €556,000, which can be used to develop strategic
projects. The council provided €10,000 from the fund
in both 2008 and 2009 towards the operating costs of
the Lough Swilly Car Ferry, but the future of that
service is uncertain.
Buncrana Town Council purchased 11 houses in 2009,
and acquired a further seven units under Part V of
the Planning Acts. Its housing stock is at an all
time high of 230 units, and it expects to earn
€520,000 in rents in 2010. The town’s pay and
display regime is expected to bring in €210,000 this
year, and the council has, for the first time, set
aside a budget for parking enforcement. It has
€55,000 set aside for enforcement in 2010.
Having spent an estimated €802,000 on roads in 2009,
the county manager is projecting a €841,000 spend in
2010.
Some €70,000 has been set aside for councillors’
allowances and expenses in 2010.
The general maintenance of the town’s parks and open
spaces will cost around €200,000 in 2010, with
€3,000 going towards the local Tidy Towns Committee.
An additional €35,000 is provided for litter
management, while the cost of street cleaning will
cost some €80,000 in 2010.
The council’s tourism promotion budget has been
slashed from €133,000 in 2009 to €33,000 in 2010.
There are no details contained in the budget about
what income the annual €200 non principal private
residence levy will yield for Buncrana. However, the
county manager says that income from the levy will
be used to offset the council’s €575,000 accumulated
revenue deficit. |
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