Property tax rise for Cork city

Most city councillors were in favour of a nine per cent increase on the Local Property Tax (LPT) for 2022.

It comes after several proposals were put forward and voted on during a meeting of Cork City Council on Monday.

Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael councillors wanted the nine per cent increase, while Green Party councillors and Independent Cllr Lorna Bogue wanted a 15 per cent LPT increase.

Sinn Féin didn’t want any change while Solidarity Cllr Fiona Ryan wanted a 15 per cent decrease, which was seconded by Independent Cllr Kenneth O’Flynn.

Councillors can choose to increase or decrease the LPT by 15 per cent at the most. Prior to the meeting, councillors were given a report from City Hall’s Chief Executive Ann Doherty which recommended a 15 per cent increase.

“This would ensure that the levels of service in the 2021 budget would be maintained for 2022 and that there would be significant funding for local area committees,” she said in her report.

A vote needed to be taken on whether to change the LPT with the majority agreeing that it should be changed.

Councillors were then asked for their preference on the changes proposed – nine per cent increase, 15 per cent increase or 15 per cent decrease. The 15 per cent decrease was eliminated after the first vote and the second vote saw the nine per cent preference chosen with Green Party councillors and Cllr Bogue voting for 15 per cent while Sinn Féin councillors and Independent councillors Kenneth O’Flynn and Thomas Moloney abstained from voting.

Many councillors spoke before the votes including Fianna Fáil’s Sean Martin who proposed the nine per cent increase. He said: “Our job tonight is to try to bring in some funding that will directly target what we as councillors want.”

He said the money will be used in communities and for sports grants.

He added: “We also need to recognise that if we are pedestrianising streets, which we are all for, there is a cost factor to that. We have to replace that cost factor. If you have 10 cars parking for eight hours at €2, that’s €960 a week lost. That’s the kind of income stream we’re losing. I’m not saying that’s a good or bad thing, my point is that we need to find that funding somewhere else.”