Laois homeowners to face hike in Local Property Tax levy

LAOIS County Council has approved an increase in the Local Property Tax which increases to 15 percent.

Simon Walton acting CEO of Laois County Council informed councillors at the September monthly meeting that an increase was being sought for the Local Property Tax (LPT).

Mr Walton explained that there was a local adjustment factor built into the tax. He advised that a memo was circulated to the councillors.

Mr Walton, said: “This is a budgetary issue for the council and it’s very relevant with regard to the ongoing preparations in connection with Budget 2025. Budget 2025 will be considered by the local representatives over the course of the next few weeks.” Mr Walton recapped to the members that the overall budget adopted by the council for 2024 was €113, 881.02 million. There were different streams that funded that and the local property tax was in the amount of €12.144m and represented 11% of the overall council budget.

Of that sum that was made up of €5.5m was liabilities for LPT in Co Laois and then €6.1m was in connection with LPT State Equalisation Funding while there was a further €523,000 regarding the local base of the tax since 2017.

Under the LPT Amendment Act 2013 this allows for the tax to rise or fall by 15%. Since 2017 the LPT has been up by 10% in the county.

Mr Walton added: “We are required to give public notice that this issue would be discussed today and there was no feedback.

“Looking forward to even standstill to provide the same level of service for 2025 and has been done in 2024 you are looking at a budget of between €118m to €118.5m. There is no increase in the budget allocation by the Government so over the next few weeks there will be key budget matters to be considered by the council regarding 2025.” Councillors heard that the ongoing increases in costs to maintain and expand local services are subject to ongoing rises in finance and the budget needs to meet the needs of the various service areas.

“One particular area I would like to highlight is that the council now owns and operates 23 playgrounds around the county. It’s a very substantial network of playgrounds. There are funds urgently required to upgrade some of this equipment,” the ceo noted.

He also explained that co-funding schemes to unlock state grants in 2025 will be in the order of €2m and highlighted the funding needs of Enterprise funding.

“My recommendation is that Laois County Council resolves to vary the baseline rate of LPT by plus 15% for the period of this council. In monetary terms what this means for individual properties the base rate is 5531 to 6.07m at 10% or if approved that will give an additional €277,235 over and above the status quo situation,” Mr Walton highlighted.

“There are 32, 262 listed and the vast majority of properties or 55% means that the increase is €4.50 per annum and for 9,066 is €11.25 per annum and so on.

“What this means is in the life-time of the council that equates to €1.4m and that money will be re-invested as part of the formal budget process as agreed with the councillors.

Fianna Fáil councillor Paschal McEvoy spoke about the huge value of playgrounds to the county and looking at the cost to householders and to €525,000 €22.50 to €146.25 to high-test I don’t think it’s a major cost to any household so I have no problem proposing the increase.

Fine Gael’s John King playgrounds and public lighting all have to be enhanced and he seconded the increase.

Independent councillor James Kelly said that when “you look at the figures and what it means to the households and what this additional funding does when it unlocks, state funding also supported the rise.” Cllr Ollie Clooney added that he would “certainly be supporting” the increase.

Independent councillor Aisling Moran also backed the rise but asked for the additional finance to be spent not only in Portlaoise but in other areas also while Labour councillor Marie Tuohy consented to the increase as did Sinn Féin Aidan Mullins chimed in with hers approval.

However, Sinn Féin councillor Caroline Dwane Stanley did not support the increase that other areas could be looked at to “conserve waste”. She argued that too much money is spent on contractors and believed that the council could get “better value for money” by hiring in staff.

Cllr Dwane Stanley alleged that “contractors are ripping us (council off). A lot of fluffy stuff goes on in various areas.” Fianna Fáil’s Padraig Fleming Cathaoirleach of the Council concluded the increase was approved by members.

Ends