Householders across Galway city could see their property tax charge drop by as much as €50 if a motion before the Galway City Council on Wednesday is passed.
The city council is due to meet this Wednesday (September 17 ) at 4pm, to discuss “adjusting” the Local Property Tax. Sinn Féin will demand the controversial charge be slashed by the maximum possible margin of 15 per cent.
Unanimous support for such a move is not guaranteed, which has led Sinn Féin councillor Mairéad Farrell, who will propose the motion, to call on her fellow elected members to “follow the example of Labour and Independent councillors” in other parts of the State, and support the cut.
“I am calling on local representatives, especially those in the Government Pact on Galway City Council,” she said, “to act independently on this issue and follow through with pre-election commitments to make a stand for their communities against the cruel austerity agenda of this Fine Gael-Labour administration.”
City Hall has the authority to raise or lower the property tax rate under the Finance (Local Property Tax ) Act 2012. Cutting the tax would see charges drop by between €14 and €51, depending upon the valuation band into which a house falls. However, increasing the rates could see householders having to fork out anything between €13 and €120 extra.
“Sinn Féin stands squarely against the imposition of the property tax on Galway homeowners,” said Cllr Farrell, “who are already struggling under an array of other stealth taxes.”
