There are fears among councillors that Athlone Town Council may be abolished under the Government’s soon-to-be-announced reform of local government.
Athlone town councillors are to write to Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Phil Hogan, to make a case for the retention of Athlone Town Council along with increased powers for the council.
Mayor of Athlone Cllr Alan Shaw says he wants to see members having even greater power after the reforms, including having more autonomy over finances.
“We need to be able to plan ahead rather than see what’s in the pot at the end of the year, to do a five-year budget at the start of our term instead of having to wait and see what the Government decides to transfer to us. The system of planning one year at a time belongs in the past,” he said.
However Cllr Kieran Molloy said it was looking uncertain whether Athlone Town Council would still be in existence in a few years’ time.
“I am seriously concerned in view of talk and whispers on the ground as to whether this town council will be here after the next election,” he said.
While Cllr Mark Cooney also supported Cllr Shaw’s motion, he said it was “inevitable” that a number of local authorities would be abolished but that he believed there was “a very strong argument to be made for this council”.
“Given the developments that have taken place in the town, I can quite confidently say we wouldn’t have this progress in this town except we had an independent and functional council,” he said.
Cllr Sheila Buckley-Byrne added that it is important for Athlone Town Council to be able to set rates and decide how money is spent.
Other councillors were sceptical, with Cllr Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran telling Cllr Shaw “If you fulfill this I’ll give you a clap on the back”, and Cllr Aengus O’Rourke commenting that Minister Hogan’s views seem to run contrary to the mayor’s.
However Cllr Shaw said “nothing could be further from the truth”.
“I attended the AMAI conference recently and heard the Minister’s views, and he felt local government was the way forward. It’s important we have our views put forward by letter,” he concluded.
