Clare County Council made much smaller financial losses than expected last year due to payroll savings and the new tax on second homes and non principle residences.
The Council’s Annual Financial Statement for 2009 shows that the local authority ended the year with a deficit of 82,000 Euro and not the 3 million Euro previously expected.
The projected deficit was reduced by income generated under the Non Principal Private Residence scheme, which costs the owners of homes other than their main residence 200 Euro a year – and also by not filling vacant posts arising from retirements and temporary contracts.
Clare County Council Salaries and Wages for 2009 were 36million – a reduction of 1.7million on 2008.
Head of Finance Noeleen Fitzgerald says the 2009 Budget was difficult as the Council had to make savings to negate the impact of a 7% reduction in the Local Government Fund
Finances were further impacted by a 7.5million reduction in Road grants in March 2009 and a further 3% reduction in the Local Government Fund in June 2009, but the council says corrective action has resulted in much smaller losses than the potential 3 million Euro deficit signalled in their half year report.
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