While Tipperary County Councillors saw fit to raise Local Property Tax by 10%, County Councillors sharing our border in Kilkenny county have, this evening, agreed unanimously that the amount of Local Property Tax to be collected from house owners for the coming fiscal year 2018, will not change.
Dublin City Councillors voted 42-11 against a hike in their Local Property Tax.
This decision was arrived at by County Councillors, despite Council Management again seeking a full 15% increase in order to balance expenditure demands.
Councillors stated that they were mindful of the impact any increase would have on already besieged households, right across the county, and condemned the current framework where a Local Property Tax rate decision is required two months in advance of a local authority’s statutory budget meeting.
Meanwhile An Taoiseach Mr Leo Varadkar has given his views on any dramatic increase in property tax, stating there would be no sudden hikes in property tax rates despite spiralling house price values, particularly in urban areas like Dublin and Cork. (Oh yes, good old Dublin & Cork, the twin capitals must be looked after.)
He stated, “One thing that has not increased, which we don’t want to see, and which we will do might and main to avoid, is any sudden hike in property tax that would come about because of house revaluations. While there has been a very significant increase in property values, particularly in the greater Dublin area, I certainly don’t envisage, nor do I want to see, a sudden dramatic hike in property tax, to that end we will be working hard to avoid that.”
Obviously no one informed Tipperary Co. Councillors of Mr Varadkar’s wishes; and Tipperary Co. Councillors in turn have failed to inform Mr Varadkar and his minority government that Tipperary do not have quality Public Services; just one example being our hospital services situated both north and south of the county.
Well done to the Kilkenny Councillors. You have your constituents at heart not like Tipperary.