*Áras an Chontae, Prospect Hill, Galway.
GALWAY COUNTY COUNCILLORS have voted to increase the local property tax in the county by fifteen percent.
Elected members voted 32 to 6 in favour of the move to bump up the local property tax. Galway County Council said the move will deliver an additional €2.4m annually for public projects and services across the county.
According to the Council, over the next five years this decision to increase the LPT by 15% over the baseline rate will allow the Council secure €12 million in additional funding which can be leveraged to attract significant additional funding from national and EU sources.
Each local authority in the country can increase or decrease the rate by up to 15% from the basic property tax rate each year. Almost 50% of homeowners will see their local property tax increase by between €33.75 and €47.25, while the charge will go up by €65.50 for the remainder of those impacted.
Liam Conneally, Chief Executive of Galway County Council said, “increasing the LPT over a five-year period will secure badly needed funding to enable the Council to achieve its ambitious work programme in the period of this Council to 2029. The increase will help the Council to deliver a range of local authority infrastructure projects, community capital projects, and essential public services for the County and our citizens”.
Katie O’Connor, Head of Finance, Galway County Council said the 15% increase may also be used to leverage additional funds into the County for projects and programmes for countywide benefit and make a real and positive difference to the lives of the people of County Galway. “Galway County Council will utilise this funding as a multiplier in relation to co-funded government grant schemes. For example, successful Council applications for 75% funding will ultimately quadruple the value and scale of relevant projects, which will benefit the communities in which they are being developed as well as the wider county”.
