Sinn Féin Councillor Conor D. McGuinness was the only West Waterford political representative to vote against a 10% increase in the LPT. Sinn Féin had instead proposed a 10% reduction in LPT for Waterford homeowners. The vote took place at the October meeting of Waterford City and County Council held last week in City Hall.
McGuinness said:
“Fine Gael, Fianna Fail, Green Party, Labour and Independent members of Waterford City and County Council voted to maintain the 10% increase in the Local Property Tax that was introduced last year.
“Sinn Féin proposed a decrease of 10% to give homeowners in Waterford a break. In all, the five Sinn Féin Councillors and one independent voted against the 10% increase and for my counter proposal to give families and workers a break.
“The LPT is a tax on the family home – it is unfair, regressive and penalises people for owning their home. It heaps more expense on top of families that are balancing mortgage payments, with increasing energy prices, and the overall the cost of living crisis.
“Government needs to recognise and value local government – they need to stop neglecting local services. The first step is to provide adequate funding to Councils, funded by progressive taxation that ensures those best able to pay actually cough up their fair share.
“Our Council is perpetually starved of resources by Government. We are still many millions away from undoing the harsh cuts imposed almost a decade ago by the Fianna Fáil/Green and Fine Gael/Labour austerity governments. Services are suffering and are being allowed to continue to suffer. The establishment parties and independents would rather put their hands in working peoples pockets than address the tax breaks, loopholes and sweetheart deals that mean our public services are consistently underfunded.
“Sinn Féin in Government will get rid of the LPT and ensure that councils are funded sustainably from the exchequer to ensure delivery of public services at local level.”
ENDS
Cllr. Conor D. McGuinness 