Tuesday, 28 January 2014
TUESDAY, 15 OCTOBER 2013 10:42
THE three town councils in Mayo which are scheduled to be axed next May have a total of €16.17 million on deposit, according to the latest local government audited information available.
Yet Mayo County Council, which is being retained in Environment Minister Phil Hogan’s shake-up, has just €172,643 in reserve.
Minister Hogan presented the figures in Dáil Éireann on foot of a parliamentary question. But it clearly undermines his decision to scrap town councils as a cash-saving measure.
While the €16.17 million is expected to be transferred to the coffers of Mayo County Council following the 2014 local elections, there is no guarantee the money will be retained for provision of local services.
The deposits held by the four local authorities in Mayo comprising of cash balances and short-term bank investments are as follows: Castlebar Town Council (€7,566,048), Westport Town Council (€4,970,930), Ballina Town Council (€3,646,517) and Mayo County Council (€172,643).
It is clear there was no justification for abolishing town councils in the county for financial reasons.
The figures are a cause for concern for Mayo County Council at a time when it is deep in debt.
Saturday, 25 January 2014
About Keith
I was elected to Westport Town Council in 2004 as an Independent candidate. I ran on several local issues of concern to the residents of my area and on some larger, town-wide issues. I joined the Labour Party two years later because I realised my goals were in line with Labour’s.
As part of my council work I attend one monthly meeting of the council, an annual budget meeting and many committee meetings in relation to council sub committees and events.
In addition to this I serve on many local committees and groups such as Westport Community Radio which I helped to found three years ago. I used my experience and position to make the case for funding and to date I have sourced €60,000 in funds for the station.
In addition to this kind of work I have also helped to develop my locality. When I was elected in 2003 my area of the Golf Course Road had no social facilities. Today it has a greenway, a park, football pitch, playground , walkway and a primary school. It also has a community building providing many classes and supports for children such as a crèche and homework club.
On a wider scale I have used my position as a councillor to work with the Irish Film Board in promoting Westport and Mayo as a venue for film making both small and feature film productions and I soon hope to establish a county wide film board for Mayo.
Shortly after my re-election in 2009 I was unable to complete paperwork relating to campaign spending due to a serious illness and when I missed the deadline I was automatically barred from taking my seat for 5 years.
The only remedy was to go the Circuit Court where the Court ruled that the bar should be lifted due to my illness and I retook my seat on Westport Town Council. I am the only person in the country to have had this bar overturned.
Currently I am campaigning against the abolition of Town Councils.
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