NO REBATE FOR RATEPAYERS AS COUNTY COUNCIL OFFICES PROJECT REMAINS ON TRACK

The refusal by the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government to sanction the raising of a €38 million loan by Monaghan Co Council to build new civic offices has not translated into a reduction in the bill to be faced by ratepayers in Co Monaghan in 2023. The Co Council’s elected members voted at their meeting on Monday not to return the portion of the 5% rates increase (2.8%) introduced for this year through a rebate, but to retain the money in order to advance the civic offices project towards construction stage.

The meeting was told by Head of Finance John Murray and Chief Executive Patricia Monahan that the Department had refused loan sanction because the project was not yet sufficiently advanced, but had indicated that approval should be forthcoming when the offices had gone through their design and planning stages and were ready for construction.

The commitment by the majority of the elected members to the plan to replace the current HQ at The Glen, which dates from the 1980s, with a new modern facility to be built at Rooskey in the centre of Monaghan Town, was evident from the 15 votes recorded against the proposal of Independent councillor Paudge Connolly, seconded by non-party Seamus Treanor, that the Council proceed with the option of a rates rebate…