Kells rates meeting on Wednesday

KELLS town councillors meet this on Wednesday evening to strike their 2009 rate - with indications that the Fianna Fáil minority will press for no increase, even as officials stressed the need for higher parking charges with a projected rates increase of 2.9 per cent needed to sustain existing services. The current rate of €64.13 in the euro was one of a series of much-reduced increases, as the FF grouping pressed the Labour/Fine/Gael/Sinn Féin/Independent controlling group to rein in substantially higher rises sought by officials. The local elections next June are firmly the focus for all councillors but the FF plan to hold back any rate increase offers a popular approach, embarrassing the majority to match it. There would seem very little scope for tighter council savings, given the paring of services in recent years. The 2.9 per cent figure remains clearly without support but no rise at all might leave the council open to its own abolition and replacement by a civil servant acting as town commissioner. Some hints of a rates increase of about two per cent would seem possible, given the footwork of the political parties in recent years. Major spending cuts, similar to the rowing back on the Heritage Centre made by Cllr Seán Drew, could result in further job losses in a town which the construction downturn has hit very sharply. The Christmas trade to date has been characterised as quite slow by several traders, not helped by clear signs of more locals prepared to travel across the border. The majority is expected to robustly challenge the FF proposal at this evening"s meeting, which follows two private meetings where members were given a very sobering outline of tight council finances by officials.