Nicola Grant has condemned last night’s 5.99% rates increase and has called the council’s decision ‘uncaring and unimaginative’
“This is just not acceptable”, the local Workers Party representative said.
“Claiming that the rates rise was the lowest that could be achieved, just won’t wash”. The council is sitting on financial reserves of £35 million pounds. It would take £11 million to avoid any rate increase but the council has decided to pass that burden on to the local ratepayers instead”.
‘I am outraged at the comments of some councillors who claim that the council is facing difficult decisions. It is the people of the Newry, Mourne and Down areas that are faced with the really difficult decisions but they can’t call on a bank balance of £35 million’ Nicola said.
‘Councillors should have had the courage and the humanity to use the reserves and to also put pressure on central government to subsidise all councils against rising energy prices and the soaring cost of living’, added Nicola.
‘The people of this area deserve representatives that will act, at all times, in their interest, not sit on their hands and on the ratepayers money’, Nicola concluded.
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