Budget row looming in Mayo over councillors' €1m. demand

ELECTED members of Ballina Municipal District members are looking for €1 million in the General Municipal Allocation (GMA) - discretionary funding which is made available to municipal district members for allocation in the draft budgetary plan - for their area.

Local councillors expressed the opinion at a meeting of the authority today that ratepayers are being asked to contribute extra each year while it appears to the population at large that council services are actually being cut.

Fine Gael Councillor Jarlath Munnelly pointed out that there was a rates increase of 7.5% last year and a further increase of 4% is proposed this year, but services are decreasing and no one can explain why.

“I think last year's budget was a disaster for the county, frankly,” he said, pointing out that as well as the rates there was an increase in parking charges and on rents on council houses, and a charge put on vacant properties.

He proposed the increase in the GMA to €1m (from €525,000) 'because it is needed'.

He was strongly aupported by the other elected members of the authority.