Clare Councillors meet this evening to discuss the local authority’s Budget for 2021.
The document has been drawn up against the backdrop of unprecedented financial pressures, and amid question marks over the Council’s income over the year ahead and beyond.
In a financial sense, COVID-19 has been very costly for Clare County Council.
It has incurred extra expenses, its rates income has been wiped out and income in other areas such as parking charges and civic amenities has fallen too.
In all, the local authority estimated potential losses of close on €20 million this year though some of that has been covered by central government.
The Department of Local Government has provided 8.4 million euro to cover the fall-off in rates, and has told Clare FM that further payments will be issued.
It’s also provided an additional €2.5 million to cover the major impact on the Council’s rates income of changes at Moneypoint Power Station, which has previously accounted for around a quarter of the county’s total rates base.
Despite these supports, there is still a multi-million euro shortfall to be made-up, which leads to the need for some tough decisions in the context of next year’s plan for services.
A pre-prepared draft budget, which has been drawn up after a series of meetings, some involving Councillors, will be presented to them at a meeting this evening in which they will vote on whether to approve the Council’s financial plans for 2021.
