Wicklow County Councillors Defend Property Tax Increase

There’s anger in Wicklow after Councillors voted to increase the local property tax by 10% above the base rate.

Wicklow is one of nine local authorities which can increase or reduce the tax by up to 15% on the base rate set in 2014, because they have to subsidise other counties where the property tax take is low.

Wicklow County Council says the additional charge will bring in over 1.7 million euro in extra revenue, which will be ring-fenced to meet the Council’s requirement to provide equal funding for a number of new projects under the National Development Plan.

These include the Blessington Greenway Project, Greystones Community CCTV Scheme and the Bray Public Transport Bridge.

However Cathaoirleach of the Greystones Municipal District Independent Councillor Tom Fortune says the increase is unacceptable and he will be raising the issue at the council’s budget meeting on the 25th November.

Councillor Irene Winters says without the increase, services faced cuts and planned projects just wouldn’t happen.