The Council is obliged to adopt a balanced budget each year. If the rate of Local Property Tax was to remain unchanged from previous years it would have been necessary to implement a wide range of significant cuts to services in 2021, as a direct result of COVID-19.
The Council met in September to consider whether to vary the basic rate of Local Property Tax. In previous years it was reduced by 15%. As there was no decision to vary the basic rate for 2021 it reverted to the basic rate by default. As a result of the Local Property Tax reverting to the basic rate €7.8m of additional income will be available to the Council in 2021.
With this additional funding not only will it be possible to maintain the same level of services in 2021, but there are also several new initiatives included in the budget including the provision of additional bins and benches, beach accessibility works, new ladders and improved access at 40 Foot, additional business supports, extra tree planting and maintenance, summer camps for children with special needs, a cycle training programme for people with disabilities, cycleway cleaning and grants for high security locks for the elderly and grants for residents associations to provide additional planting, benches and wilding and a new dlr Beta Project.
These new initiatives were selected because they will improve the quality of life for residents, businesses and visitors to dlr by creating a more attractive and vibrant county. You can see further details of your local Budget 2021 in this edition of the dlr Times here
