Property tax in Mayo to remain at same rate for next year

LOCAL Property Tax (LPT) will remain at its current rate in Mayo next year.

Council management had requested that the base rate of LPT be increased from its current 10% to 15% for the years 2026 to 2029 inclusive.

However, following a vote by councillors (17 in favour, 9 against), it was agreed that the rate will be unchanged for 2026.

The independent grouping on the council voted against, with members highlighting the rising cost of living, which is impacting families.

Councillor Johnny O'Malley suggested LPT should revert back to its base rate with zero per cent adjustment.

The €1m. raised through the 10% adjustment is ring-fenced for hedge and verge cutting (€200,000), match funding for projects, with an additional €100,000 to address backlogs in disabled and elderly persons grants, which was proposed by Councillor Damian Ryan.

Councillor O'Malley, in not supporting an increase, spoke about families facing increasing food and fuel prices and people finding it harder to live. He also questioned what people in rural areas get for their LPT.

Councillor Michael Kilcoyne suggested they should be decreasing the base rate by 15%, giving people an overall reduction of 25% on what was proposed.

With people on the breadline and a lot of poverty and distress, Councillor Richard Finn said he had to 'boycott' any increase.

He also commented, at a time of a housing crisis, on planning permission for homes being turned down in the county, which also resulted in lost LPT.

Councillor Deirdre Lawless said rural Ireland gets very little from LPT. Many housing estates, for example, are left in limbo. And she suggested that until they are taken in charge by the council, they should be exempt from LPT.

Councillor Ryan said he didn't disagree with a lot of what was said but a lot were national issues, and he asked what members' national representatives were doing to bring pressure to bear on government.

They weren't increasing the rate but holding it as it has been since 2020 and he was trying to make a prudent decision, he said.

Councillor Peter Flynn said they could all make populist statements but if they were to revert, the municipal districts would take the hit.

Sixty per cent of people in Mayo pay a LPT rate of €104 per year.