Westmeath Councillors Vote Against Raising Local Property Tax

However, the decision that could leave the local authority close to a million euro short next year. 

Westmeath County Council has voted not to increase the local property tax, a decision that could leave the local authority close to a million euro short next year. 

In 2020, councillors voted to increase the rate by 15 per cent for one year - the first increase since the tax was introduced, which provided over €970,000 to pay for lighting, playgrounds, regeneration programmes and more. 

It came as the council's income streams were severely depleted by Covid-19 impacts. 

They've now decided to go back to the base rate, meaning that any increase in LPT payments will come only from property revaluations, which are due to take place in November. 

Fianna Fáil's John Shaw was among those who voted against a rise - he's says many homeowners are already facing a jump in tax from those revaluations:

 

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