'Out of kilter' and 'ridiculous': Longford business owners slam council over rates hike

The outburst is one which has been levelled at local authority elected members by incensed ratepayers a week after the council signed off on the increase at its annual budget meeting.

Filling station owner, Paddy Hanlon led the offensive, accusing the local authority of taking a short sighted approach in attempting to offset a €620,000 shortfall in its own finances.

"It is so infuriating to hear that local politicians voted to pass a five per cent rates hike for Longford businesses in the new year," said the Gala service station owner.

"This blinkered view to plug a gap in the council's finances by punishing business owners is very disappointing."

Mr Hanlon said as a business owner himself, it was simply "not good enough" for an entity which, like local retailers, relies on balancing its books at the end of a financial year.

"If I had a €620,000 hole in my budget for the year, I would look at my main costs and overheads," he said.

"For every business these are the same-wages, electricity and rates.

"We have just emerged from a world pandemic that businesses are still trying to recover from. 

"The timing of this rates increase just shows how out of kilter our councillors are if they think that this is okay."

Those stinging words were ones which were shared by local publican Andy Byrne.

A permanent fixture on Longford's vintners landscape for several years, Mr Byrne described the approved hike as nothing short of "ridiculous".

This, he said, was exacerbated by a previous rates increase in 2016 which saw his own annual bill skyrocket by 400 per cent.

"I just think it's absolutely ridiculous so soon after coming through two years of Covid and with ever increasing overheads like ESB, fuel costs and in my case price increases from breweries, we are now faced with this," he stormed.

Mr Byrne bemoaned how the fallout was already compounding what he revealed was a chronic shortage of available taxis at peak weekend periods.

This, he contended, was a negative side effect that was already adding further anguish to a hospitality trade facing into arguably its most pivotal period in recent memory.

"They (council) are increasing rates on businesses that are experiencing a lower turnover when, in fact, they should be reducing the rates," he said.