THERE has been a major backlash against Kerry County Council plans to dramatically hike commercial rates in Killarney by a whopping 13 per cent over a five-year period.
Hard-pressed businesses struggling to recover from the crippling recession are seething after learning of a proposal to increase rates from the current level of 70.37.
The local authority’s financial department wants a harmonisation of rates and key decision makers are anxious to bring Killarney in line with the rest of the county with a one-rate policy.
But business leaders in Killarney, who continue to stress that the level of rates contributed by the town far outweighs other areas where there is less economic activity, have warned that jobs will be lost and costs will increase if the rates rise so dramatically.
The town’s Chamber of Tourism and Commerce is to seek an urgent meeting with council’s new chief executive, Moira Murrell, to discuss the crux.
“Costs will go up and it will all be passed on to the customers. People will go elsewhere if we are forced to price ourselves out of the market,” a spokesman said.
Meanwhile, Cllr Michael Gleeson said committed and fair business people in Killarney are “deeply worried” about the difficulties the proposed rates structure will impose in the town.
“Killarney is not the centre of the world but it is a very vital and dynamic location from which business radiates to the entire county,” he said.
“An almost 13 rate hike over four years is bound to do irreparable damage directly to Killarney and indirectly to the unit that is or should be the county,” he added.
Cllr Gleeson said it is only now that the real implications of the abolition of the former town council are beginning to be realised and the fears for the vibrancy of the future understood.
“Just as the players on the county team must work for each other next Sunday so must all areas of the county be treated fairly if they are to be mutually beneficial,” he commented.
