CITY COUNCIL SEEKS FURTHER SAVINGS AND EFFICIENCIES FOR BUDGET 2013

Date Published: 03-Dec-2012

Galway City Council has vowed to prioritise essential services as it publishes its draft budget for 2013.

Expenditure has been reduced across all departments in 2012 and further savings and efficiencies are being sought in 2013.

The 87 page document will be debated and considered for adoption by members at a special meeting of the local authority next Monday.

The draft provides for no increase in the commercial rate - it's set to remain at 65.46, which city officials say is one of the lowest rates in the larger urban areas of the country.

While a request to remove a legal anomaly regarding payment on rates on vacant premises is being considered by the Environment Minister, any such change will not take effect before 2014.

To Household Waste Management, it's proposed to offer the option of a fixed annual charge of 229 euro.

A proposal is also included to increase the cost of the brown bin waste to 10 cent per kilo due to the associated costs of treating composting material.

A waiver scheme currently being applied to 2 thousand 400 refuse service customers is also to be reviewed.

There are no planned changes to parking charges which means maintaining the 4 euro daily parking fee and the 2 euro on and off-street hourly rate.