Locals to raise €120,000 for Kiltimagh park

LOCAL activists have begun the process of raising €120,000 for the provision of the long mooted amenity park in Kiltimagh.

They have informed John Condon, senior executive officer with Mayo County Council, that they will be holding a public meeting on the fundraising project in the near future.

However, many councillors, members of Castlebar Municipal District, feel it is an outrage that the east Mayo town has to come up with €120,000, one-fifth of the total cost involved in providing the amenity.

Councillor Frank Durcan (Ind) fears every other town and village in the county will be similarly levied.

“It's time to nip this thing in the bud,” he declared at a meeting in Belcarra.

“They are paying their household charges in Kiltimagh and they should get the same treatment as every other town.

“I want it said loud and clear that no village, no small town in the county, should be levied with any additional charges.”

Responding, Mr. Condon said the normal rate for local contribution is 20% and the figure of €120,000 is based on a project that is going to cost five times that amount.

“Unless we operate the way we do in other towns and villages we won't be able to fund the projects because they cost a fair bit of money,” Mr. Condon continued.

He went on to say he felt that the people of Kiltimagh should be commended for their willingness to raise the money.

Councillor Therese Ruane said it was a huge task to ask a community, at the very outset of a project, to come up with €120,000 - ‘a phenomenal amount’.

The Sinn Féin councillor asked specifically at a previous meeting that each of the eight councillors in the municipal district give €10,000 each from their annual allocation for the project. This proposal wasn't agreed to.

Councillor Martin McLoughlin (FF) said there is a huge willingness in Kiltimagh to go ahead with the project and added he feels it ‘very unfair’ that the local community should be asked to come up with the €120,000 requested.