Longford businesses to be hit with 5% rates hike in new year
Longford retailers are facing a five per cent commercial rates increase next year as the county battles to withstand one of the worst energy and cost of living crises for decades.
The agreed increase came in the wake of two divided and at times, ill-tempered county council budget meetings within the space of four days.
Local politicians voted to pass the five per cent rise last Friday after a recommendation by the county council's top table for a ten per cent hike was rejected out of hand earlier in the week.
The vote, which was carried by a ten votes to six majority, saw a number of councillors from the two main government parties adopt differing views on how best to plug a €620,000 hole in the local authority's budgetary reserves .
Despite the agreement, some led by Cllr Seamus Butler launched a stinging attack on the council's executive, accusing them of having effectively "bullied" him into agreeing to a rates rise.
"I am too long in the tooth to be manipulated by anybody," saying there had also been an element of "browbeating" in trying to force his hand to a compromise.
For more on this story, see this week's Leader.