Minutes 2024

Minutes of Budget Meeting of Sligo - Drumcliff Municipal District held on Tuesday 29th October 2024 at 11.45am in The Council Chamber, County Hall, Riverside, Sligo


COUNCILLORS PRESENT:

  • Councillor Marie Casserly
  • Councillor Donal Gilroy
  • Councillor Thomas Healy
  • Councillor Edel McSharry
  • Councillor Thomas Walsh

 

OFFICIALS IN ATTENDANCE:

  • Ms. Marie Whelan, Director of Finance, Sligo County Council
  • Mr. Jim Molloy, Director of Services, Sligo County Council
  • Ms. Pauline Lavelle, Staff Officer, Sligo County Council

 

APOLOGIES:

There were no apologies.

 

CATHAOIRLEACH:

Cathaoirleach, Councillor Dónal Gilroy, presided and welcomed all present to the meeting before handing proceedings over to Ms. Marie Whelan, Head of Finance.

 

1. TO CONSIDER THE DRAFT 2025 BUDGETARY PLAN FOR THE SLIGO-DRUMCLIFF MUNICIPAL DISTRICT:

Ms. M. Whelan informed Members that the draft budgetary plan contained items of discretionary expenditure that apply to the three Municipal Districts, which may be considered on a County-wide basis along with items that are specific to each district.

 These figures include the adopted 2024 budget along with similar proposals for the 2025 Budget.

  • The amount of Sligo County Councils LPT for 2025 as adopted at the October Council meeting for 15% additional of €735,000 is incorporated as follows:
  • In 2025 we are continuing to provide a gross amount of €400,000 for Housing Grants that will be match funded with €80,000 from the additional LPT 15% increase.
  • €305,000 from the LPT towards Local Roads Programme and the ongoing Footpath Improvement Scheme with €100,000 from Development Levies.
  • D05 Tourism Development and Promotion includes the €100,000 from LPT.
  • €75,000 is included for E09 Maintenance of Burial Grounds.
  • €100,000 is included for funding salaries included within dereliction E1004
  • €75,000 is included for F0204 Purchase of Library Books.
  • The additional Rates Income for borrowings for the Regional Growth Centre Projects is included in D0901 Urban and Village Renewal. €700,000 potentially allows borrowings of €15m @ 3.25% over 40 years for part of the matching funding required.
  • With no other additional income all other lines in this draft budgetary plan are stated at the 2024 budget amounts.

Cathaoirleach, Councillor. D. Gilroy thanked Ms. M. Whelan for the draft budget report.

Members put forward queries in relation to the Festivals & Events Strategy/Queen Maeve Square, additional monies for burial grounds, provision of crematorium, provision of additional funding for housing adaptation grants, sale of Council land at Ardaghowen, status of the Council’s overall finances and the imbalance regarding the distribution of funding between the Municipal Districts in the area of Recreation & Amenities, which were answered by the Executive as follows:

  • Festivals & Events Strategy/ Queen Maeve Square (QMS) - operational commitments around Queen Maeve Squire will form part of the budget but nothing additional has been included regarding other commitments around the Strategy. Ms. Whelan does not have any details to date on the Service Level Agreement with Sligo BID and the Council on the management of QMS. Income will not be generated from the operation of QMS in 2025, but it is hoped that this might happen in the next few years.
  • Burial Grounds / Provision of a Crematorium - there is a priority list for maintenance works in burial grounds. A/DOS, Ms. Concannon will be best placed to inform Members of the split between the MD areas. In relation to provision of a crematorium in Sligo, these are private operations, but the Council would be willing to explore an opportunity for its provision if a proposal is submitted.
  • Additional funding for Housing Adaptation grants - any grants available to the Council have been availed of with match funding put in place to draw down the grants. Sligo did not get any additional monies in the most recent tranche but have received top ups during the year in addition to our initial allocation for the year.
  • Sale of Council land at Ardaghowen for €2m – when the cost to the Council of purchasing this land by way of loan and any additional costs involved, have been cleared, any remaining monies will be used to write off some of the Council’s debt.
  • Status of the Council’s overall finances – the Council’s finances are currently stable with the biggest committed costs being in relation to headcount, payroll, and pensions, which have a significant impact on the Council’s finances annually. This, coupled with increased costs around borrowing and overdrafts leave little scope for reducing the Council’s deficit in any significant way. For Local Authorities, pension costs come directly from the Council’s own Finances with a significant spend anticipated in the coming years for staff close to retirement age. However, for new entrants from 2013, pension deductions from payroll are going to a national fund so will not be coming out of the Council’s finances.
  • Imbalance in funding between Municipal Districts in Recreation & Amenity – the budget allows includes resources for a team of staff in place in the Borough area to deal with Parks and Open Spaces. Funding is also distributed depending on events that take place in each MD area. Maintenance of local roads in rural areas will absorb a lot of the funding in this area, though not specifically listed in the Budget Book. The population of the Municipal District, the variety of capital projects e.g. URDF, RRDF, Town and Village, grants and funds, public spaces, operational costs, and geographical spread will dictate and determine spend.

Cathaoirleach, Councillor D. Gilroy, and the Members thanked the Executive and staff for their responses.

It was then

Proposed by Councillor T. Healy
Seconded by Councillor M. Casserly

AND AGREED

“To adopt the Draft 2025 Budgetary Plan for the Sligo – Drumcliff Municipal District”

Ms. Whelan reminded Members about the budget briefing which will take place on Monday 4th November next following the November plenary meeting.

 

The business of the meeting concluded at 12.25pm.


Meeting Date 29/10/2024