Ballina Town Council has seen its funding from central government through the Local Government Fund cut by €118,563 for 2012, a reduction of 8.5 per cent on the amount it received last year. When looked at on a five year basis the reduction in the funding from the Local Government Fund has been reduced by €520,754 since 2008. The total reduction in all state grants for Ballina in the past five years is expected to be down €632,222 this year.
The members of Ballina Town Council will meet next Wednesday evening, January 11 at 7pm to approve the council’s budget for the year. The draft budget provides for an expenditure of €5,870,337 this year. To balance the budget the council officials have planned to recoup the expenditure through taking in €2,742,882 in rates, €1,450,375 in state grants, €690,000 in parking charges, €460,000 in rents, €234,000 in the non principal private residential tax, and €293,080 in other income.
The big ticket expenditure items for 2012 will see €1,674,989 on road transportation and safety, €784,658 on water supply and sewerage, €860,036 on recreation and amenity works, and €995,769 on the county demand payable to Mayo County Council.
The council officials have also proposed to maintain the rate charged on business and industrial premises at the current rate of 64.52, which town manager Paddy Mahon in his report points out is lower than it was in 2007, when the council had far greater funding available to it from other sources.
