A Clare County Councillor says an increase in the local property tax would have gone a long way towards providing better services for the people of Clare.
Fine Gael proposed a reduction of 7.5 per cent in the rate paid by homeowners here at a meeting of the local authority yesterday but following a vote, a fifteen per cent reduction in rates will be retained.
Clare County Councillors voted in favour of maintaining reduced local property tax rates here, but only after a tense political row at a meeting of the local authority yesterday.
A majority of Councillors backed a motion to maintain Clare's current reduction of 15% despite warnings that the fall-off in income of around 1.5 million euro would limit the number of projects and services here next year.
Fine Gael instead proposed a 7.5 per cent reduction to allow for increased funding for the county.
Speaking on Morning Focus, Bodyke Councillor Joe Cooney defended the proposal saying the party wasn't advocating a rise in payments for homeowners but an increase in spending on local services.
Independent Sixmilebridge Councillor PJ Ryan voted for the fifteen per cent reduction.
Councillor Ryan says a decrease in funding from central government is the real problem
