Property tax in County Leitrim is set to increase by almost €10 a year for majority of households.

The property tax increase was approved by councillors at the monthly Leitrim County Council meeting on Monday.

Local authorities may vary the rate of Local Property Tax (LPT) in their administrative area by up to 15pc of the basic rate of the Tax.

Recent changes to the legislation allows elected members to adjust the Local Adjustment Factor (LAF) to 25pc.

Chief Executive of Leitrim County Council Joseph Gilhooly proposed the application of the full 25 per cent increase for the next four years, from 2027 to 2030.

Mr Gilhooly said for 75pc of Leitrim properties owners will face an increase of 19c per week and around €9.50 a year.

For those whose property is valued up to €240,000, property tax will increase from €109 a year to around €119.

Mr Gilhooly outlined a large number of projects which will benefit from the increase in the tax rate as part of the Leitrim County Councils Strategic Capital Investment Plan.

The projects include the Carrick on Shannon Business Campus, the development of a family service facility in Kinlough, the construction of the railway from Dromod to Roosky and the Regional Sports Recreation Centre in Carrick on Shannon, which is currently at tender stage.

In order to maintain development, Leitrim County Council must continue to raise funding at a local level through the rates increase to meet current and future Strategic Capital Investment Plan match funding demands. 

“There’s quite a wide array of projects delivered, an array of projects in the pipeline and quite a good geographical spread throughout with a lot of interest from the community,” Mr Gilhooly.

A public consultation into the new tax rate was held during the summer months, but it was confirmed that the Council did not receive any submissions from the public.

Councillor James Gilmartin said raising rates or taxes at any time is not an “easy ask.”

He requested a list of the projects that will benefit from the increase to be made available to detail the benefits to the public.

Councillor Eddie Mitchell proposed the adaption of the new rate and commended the council on how it is run.

“Our debt is low, things are being managed well, and I think that if we have to raise rates a little in order to keep things done right and continue to provide the level of service that we do in this county, I think that that’s something that I would support,” said Cllr Mitchell.

On the approving of the LPT increase, Cathaoirleach Cllr Mary Bohan said, “The Council discussion has highlighted the substantial progress made in implementing a programme of this scale and reflects the ambition of the Council to ensure Leitrim is a thriving and vibrant County for everyone.

“It demonstrates the ability of the relevant teams within the Council to engage nationally and win such scale of investment from the various Government Departments and their Ministers.

“This scale of ambition has proved to be tremendously important in retaining the County’s attractiveness, relevance and success in the eye of increasing competition from all other parts of Ireland,” said Cllr Bohan.