Galway and Mayo Councils Reject Local Property Tax Hikes
Galway City and Mayo County Councillors rejected proposals to increase local property taxes, citing the cost of living and inadequate central government funding.
Local councillors in Galway and Mayo rejected proposals to increase the Local Property Tax (LPT) on October 13, citing financial hardship for homeowners and disputes over government funding.
In Galway, councillors voted down a 10% increase that the local authority executive claimed would raise €1 million annually for footpath repairs. Councillor Frank Fahy questioned the necessity of the tax, noting the executive had previously spent only €230 thousand on footpaths despite a €160 million budget. Former Mayor Peter Keane criticized central government funding metrics for ignoring the city's tourist and student populations. In response, the council will send a cross-party delegation to Dublin to meet with cabinet ministers.
Similarly, Mayo County Council members unanimously rejected a recommendation from Director of Finance Peter Duggan to raise the LPT base rate from 10% to 15% for 2026 through 2029. Duggan argued the increase was necessary to combat inflation and fund affordable housing and infrastructure. However, Councillor Damien Ryan successfully proposed maintaining the rate at 10%, which has been steady since 2020. Ryan specifically criticized a €720,000 funding demand from Uisce Éireann as extreme, given the utility's recent €2 billion national government grant.
