Trim councillors baulk at 3.9% rate rise

A proposed commercial rate increase of 3.9 per cent by Trim Town Council will not be supported by councillors, it emerged in the past week. It is expected that a rate rise of under two per cent will be agreed when the council meets for its statutory budget meeting in January. A preliminary budget meeting took place on Tuesday night of last week, 16th December, when the Trim town manager put forward a proposal for a rate increase of 3.9 per cent to be levied on local business and traders. However, this did not receive the support of councillors. It is expected that councillors will only agree to an increase of under two per cent. 'Things are very tight for businesses and the works on the streets didn"t help the town and the delay in works means that a lot of businesses are finding it tough,' said Cllr Ray Butler. He said the town manager has said that if any businesses are in difficulty with paying their rates, they should come in and talk, rather than bury their heads in the sand, and the council would be willing to facilitate them. 'We know these are tough times. If people are running into difficulties, we ask them not to bury their heads in the sand and to talk to the officials to come up with a plan,' he said. The estimates also provide for an increase in paid parking charges in Trim from next March. Parking fees are currently 60c per hour but it is expected that councillors will agree to this being increased to 80c per hour. Also discussed at the preliminary budget meeting last week was the future of the public toilets in Trim. Cllr Butler said the toilets are being vandalised and are in 'a terrible state' and that councillors are looking at shutting them. He said members of the public could use the toilets in the coffee shop next door, which is owned by the council. However, he said that nothing has yet been finalised. The statutory budget meeting of Trim Town Council will take place in advance of the January monthly meeting of the council.