The members of Castlebar Town Council this week agreed to drop the rateable valuation for the year by one per cent. The new rate will be €70.94 for 2011.
Independent councillor Frank Durcan, who had a motion down for last night’s monthly meeting of the local authority calling for an overall review of the rateable valuation of premises in the country, told the meeting that it was important that the council reduce the rate to help out the business people in the town.
Labour Party councillor Harry Barrett, while agreeing with Cllr Durcan that a rates reduction would be appreciated by the business people, said that from his conversations with business people the real thing that was crippling business was the high rents that some were forced to pay and the drop in footfall in the town.
