Minutes of the Annual Budget Meeting of Kilkee Town Council held on Monday 1st December 2008 at the Sweeney Memorial Library, Kilkee at 8 p.m.

Cathaoirleach sa Cathair

Cllr. P.J. Linnane

I Láthair

Cllr. Tom Nolan
Cllr. Lily Marrinan Sullivan
Cllr. P.J Lardner,
Cllr. Brian Keane
Cllr. Michael McGrath
Cllr. Carmel Deloughery
Cllr. Claire Haugh
Cllr. Michael Martin.

I Láthair

Nora Kaye, A/Director of Service & Town Manager
Derek Troy, Executive Engineer & Town Engineer
John Corry, A/Town Clerk

Nora Kaye, Town Manager presented the draft budget for the year ended 31st December 2009 showing a total estimated expenditure of €82,875.64, estimated income of €6,068.4 and net estimated amount to be demanded from Clare County Council of €76,807.24.

A/Town Clerk, John Corry advised that following the pre budget meeting in November he wished to update the following;

That the cost of the Local Elections would be €11,000 & that this cost was to be provided over a period of three years with €3,000 being provided in 2009.
General Insurance costs were being reduced from €2,160 to €1,935.
€2,375 was being provided for the Annual Membership of the AMAI as well as to enable members of the council to attend conferences.
€750 needed to be provided towards the cost of hosting Kilkee’s website Kilkee.ie.

Members proposed that a provision of €500 be provided specifically for Kilkee Marine rescue. It was felt that they should to be recognised locally for the great work that they did as a voluntary organisation
Cllr. Linnane proposed not to increase the rates of Kilkee Town Council and to also request Clare County Council not to increase their rates particularly after the weather effected season for the businesses of Kilkee and the downturn in the economy.
It was agreed by members to deal with Cllr Nolan’s motion "That the Budget for 2009 be framed so that there be no increase in Rates"
Cllr. Nolan agreed that rates should not be increased this year as a result of the massive change in the economic climate during the year. He added that the members should look at what the effect of the payment of their expenses would have to an increase in the rates. He said that a gesture could be made by members and he welcomed the views of the other members.
Cllr. Haugh felt that their allowance was minimal and that it only covered her phone bills etc.
Cllr. Martin agreed with Cllr, Nolan, that Kilkee Town Council should forego a 3% increase in rates.
John Corry highlighted that members expenses were €9,900 which represented 11.9% of the total expenditure of Kilkee Town Council.
Cllr. Marrinan Sullivan agreed that in principle she agreed to give up 1 month’s salary but that it was only if agreed by other councils nationwide.
Nora Kaye highlighted that the Clare County Council budget proposed a 4% increase in rates. In Clare a 1% rate increase represented €360,000. Therefore if Clare proposed no rate increase over €1 million would be required to balance the budget. She confirmed that therefore Clare County Council couldn’t balance without increasing rates. She further added that the Local Government Fund had been reduced by 7% and that Clare County Council had achieved pay cuts of 3% in Payroll as requested by the Minister. A big financial hit to Clare County Council was highlighted by a change in the funding mechanism for water projects which were now no longer 100% funded by the Department. She also added that a 0% increase in the Kilkee rate would have a minimal effect on the county rate.
John Corry indicated that a 3% rate increase in the Kilkee rate represented approximately €600.
Cllr. Martin questioned as to why Kilkee had a higher rate that any other town in the county.
Nora Kaye confirmed that a 4% rate increase in Clare County Council represented €2.20 extra per week for approximately 1500 of the rate payers in Clare and that it was also tax deductible.
Cllr. Linnane proposed that a freeze be put on the Clare rate for 2009.
Nora Kaye suggested that they could recommend that no increase be put on the county rate but that it would be very unlikely that same would happen.
John Corry suggested that if approximately €600 could be cut from expenditure in the budget that here would be no need of a rate increase in Kilkee.
It was agreed by the Members that the contingency fund would be reduced by €576.92 so that there would be no increase in the rate for Kilkee for 2009. It was further agreed that €500 would be provided from the contingency fund for Kilkee Marine rescue and that if there was any shortfall in the said contingency fund during the year that same would be funded by the use of the provision towards the members allowance (one months expenses).
Cllr. Marrinan Sullivan asked that it be documented that a specific provision was made by this council for the Kilkee Marine Rescue.
The following resolutions were passed having been proposed by Cllr. Nolan and seconded by Cllr. Martin.
"That pursuant to Section 103 (7) of the Local Government Act, 2001 the Draft Budget as presented by the Town Manager is hereby adopted"
"That this Council hereby determine in accordance with the Budget 2009 that the amount set out in Form 2 and Form 2 Table 1 (Amount to be Demanded €76,230.32) to be the amount to be demanded for the year ending 31st December 2009"