Tipperary Councillors attended a workshop on the 2025 Budget yesterday in advance of the Statutory Budget Meeting scheduled for Friday.
The CEO of Tipperary County Council Sinead Carr is understood to be recommending an increase of 5.5% in commercial rates as part of the budgetary process. This is Ms Carr’s first Budget meeting as CEO and given the impact of inflation on the work the council can do with existing funds the CEO is making the case for a rate increase. Councillors are also seeking extra work on repairs to vacant social houses, roads investment, the provision of CCTV and for Climate mitigation measures putting extra demand on existing funds.
The CEO is asking councillors to find savings or to suggest cuts if the rates increase cannot be agreed. The councillors voted in September to increase the Local Property Tax payable by homeowners by 15% above the base rate with the increase to be in effect for the next 3 years.
Several councillors are said to be opposed to the increase given the pressures on business operators over the last period due to inflation, VAT and energy increases as well as increases in the Minimum Wage and an auto enrolment pension scheme due in the future. A compromise proposal may emerge at tomorrow’s meeting which is scheduled for a 10am start in Clonmel Civic Offices.
