COMMENT: 'One must seriously question who these Tipperary councillors are representing'

It is with great disappointment and annoyance that I recently read on The Nationalist the decision by Tipperary County Council to approve of a further rise in local property tax at a recent meeting.

The rise of 5% is in addition to previous rises of 10% which will bring the levy to 15% above the basic rate of local property tax to each homeowner in the county.

The LPT was brought in originally by the Government a number of years ago and levied on each householder who had purchased or built their own home.

At a time when the biggest crisis in Ireland is currently the homeless it is ironic that the Government and the County Council are penalizing the people who secured their own home in the past or indeed those trying to build for their future.

This is an easy and cheap way for Tipperary County Council to get funds and I certainly must ask the question why is funding from Government decreasing and yet the Government had a €24 billion for the recent budget which begs the question of how strong your submission was.

For Mr Connolly Head of Finance to belittle the increase to suggest the average increase 19 cent per week was an insult to property owners.

One must also ask what is the plan for future Council funding because in 2019 you stated it was a once off.

It is also disappointing to see the low number of eight councillors who voted against the proposal out of forty. One must seriously question who they are representing.

We have a situation in Ardfinnan where there are stop and go lights on our Bridge for seven years approximately and despite being told there was funding in place for upgrade of same, we are still waiting to see any action by our County Council.

Yours

Willie Barrett

Reechestown

Ardfinnan

Clonmel

Co Tipperary