Council tightens the purse strings for local services
By Naoise Coogan
2009/2010 is going to be a difficult year for the new and old members of Kilkenny County Council with the recent announcement that a cut of €2 million needs to be made in local services in order to adhere to the new lower budget assigned to the local authority for the year ahead.
The members learned the bad news at a briefing meeting last Thursday when county manager Joe Crockett addressed the members informing them of the cut in capital funding from the government.
Several areas are to receive a cut in financing in the year ahead including a sum of €308,000 on roads, €193,000 on water supply, €100,000 on the operation and maintenance of water supply, €160,000 on the operation of fire services and a whopping €264,000 on the operation of library archival services.
There are also to be job losses announced in the near future at Kilkenny Local Authorities. Already 30 staff have been let go at the council and a further 30 jobs are planned to be axed within the next year.
Council funds are to be severely curtailed this year as a result of the drop in the development contribution scheme which has been a lucrative scheme for the council in the boom years. However, this year these charges have diminished as housing development in the city and county has fallen so drastically in recent months. This is making it even more difficult for the council to make up the capital funding shortfall.
Council chairman Michael O’ Brien said that everyone in Kilkenny will feel the pinch of local authority cutbacks this year.
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