Council strike rates
Thursday, 9 February 2012
Rates in the Moyle area will rise slightly this year after agreement was reached at Monday night's council meeting.
The new district rate now sits at 2.2% - the first rise in two years. Councillors held two nights of discussion on the way forward, with officers working tirelessly behind the scenes to secure the best deal for the local ratepayers.
The final figure was reached from a starting point of over 10%.
This year, over £400,000 will come out of council's reserve pot to help keep the rate down.
With uncertainty remaining around the lifespan of the council, councillors were told at Monday night's meeting they needed to strike a balance between using their reserves now, and saving them for the future. "It's about balancing reserves and trying to prepare for the future," said Chief Executive Richard Lewis.
The fear is that applying a larger amount from the reserves fund at this stage would leave the area facing a rate hike in the final year before the creation of the new super councils.
Speaking on the issue of money held in reserves, Joan Baird of the UUP said she feared the money would end up being used in other ways and not in the best interests of the ratepayer.
“It's their money and they deserve a return on it," she said.
Independent Councillor Randal McDonnell said that 'legally and morally the money belongs to those who pay it and it should be given back to them through reduced rates'.
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