Councillors representing the Castleisland and Corca Dhuibhne Municipal District have rejected their area’s draft budgetary plan for next year.
Under the plan, it’s proposed €112,000 would be allocated to projects in the area.
Cllr Bobby O’Connell says they rejected the plan after the Kerry County Council executive refused to tell them how much it’s proposed the Killarney Municipal District would receive.
He says a majority of Killarney councillors voted against the increase to the local property tax when this helps fund important projects in the area.
Five of the seven members of the Castleisland Corca Dhuibhne Municipal District voted against the area’s draft budgetary plan; Councillors Charlie Farrelly and Jackie Healy-Rae voted to accept it.
Fine Gael councillor Bobby O’Connell says most councillors in his area voted for the property tax increase last month but that the Castleisland Corca Dhuibhne Municipal District is not getting sufficient funding for community projects, as set out in the draft budgetary plan.
He claims that despite a majority of Killarney councillors voting against the property tax rate, it’s proposed that municipal district would receive far more in funding.
He says these Killarney councillors enjoy the luxury of voting against the local property tax hike but then enjoy the benefit of funding generated by the tax.
He says they're not being petty.
Kerry County Council says the votes that took place today are only one part of the budgetary process and that its CEO may take account of the draft budgetary plan as presented to councillors of each MD, without amendment.
Kerry's 33 county councillors will vote on November 21st on whether to adopt the council’s budget for next year.
