CITY councillors have been urged to refuse to pass its upcoming budget to send a message to central government.
Fiona Ryan AAA
Negotiations continue behind closed doors ahead of the budget vote in mid-November, with councillors exploring options to cover a €1.6 million deficit in the local authority’s coffers.
Among the possible solutions on the table is a 2.9% rates hike for commercial traders in the city.
At a meeting of Cork City Council last night, Anti-Austerity Alliance councillor Fiona Ryan called on her fellow members to refuse to pass any budget that further reduces already stretched services in the city.
She said: “We can’t afford a €1.6 million cut when we’re already failing to provide the basic level of services in terms of roads, housing, etc. If this continues, will the members of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael refuse to pass a budget that includes further cuts to services? We cannot continue to be the public mudguard for this government – we need to send a message.”
If the local authority failed to pass a budget, the council would be dissolved and an administrator would be appointed to run the city.
Ms Ryan said: “If Cork City Council unites against an unfair budget and demands further funding to meet the gap between funding available and what is necessary to deliver on its obligations, it would be a deeply unpopular and undemocratic move to dissolve the council and appoint a bureaucrat to run the affairs of Cork city in the run up to a general election.”
Independent councillor Paudie Dineen backed Ms Ryan’s suggestion, saying: “If we continue like this, the City Council will implode, because we’ll have no money left. Cllr Ryan is right – we need to make a stand.”
However, there was staunch criticism from several other members in the Chamber.
Fianna Fáil’s John Sheehan said, “We do have problems with funding, but I am not in favour of the Council being abolished for some showpiece publicity stunt.”
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