Businesses around Westmeath are waiting with bated breath for the first indication of the commercial health of the county on Monday (December 21 ), when the county council meets to agree on a budget for 2010 at the annual estimates meeting.
It is going to cost €68.7m to run the county for 2010, and with income estimated at €40.5m, plus €19m from Government subsidies and a further €770,000 saved through the public sector pay reduction, it means the county will have to raise €7.75m through commercial rates.
This will be hammered out at the preliminary meeting in camera on Monday morning, and will hopefully be presented for adoption at the public meeting in the afternoon.
Of the eight sectors of expenditure in the county, including housing, roads, water, environment, recreation and such, only housing is a net contributor to the county’s coffers.
Landfill charges are worth €1.4m to the county, with recreation and amenity fees contributing €1.24m.
Rent is expected to bring in €9.02m next year, while €8.63m is earmarked for spending in this department.
It is expected that less than €230,000 will be collected from planning charges next year but parking fines are due to provide a whacking €1.2m.
The town of Athlone, which raises its own rates independent of the county, will cost in the region of €12.5m to operate in 2010.
The meeting to decide the figures for Athlone has been deferred until January
