COUNTY COUNCIL PAYING €800,000 ON RENT

JUST ONE WEEK after it was confirmed that Sligo County Council was in the red to the tune of almost €77 million with its deficit growing out of control, it has now been revealed that the Council has been paying in excess of €800,000 per year renting office and storage space.

In documentation released by Council officials this week in response to a motion tabled by Cllr Declan Bree, it is admitted that the Council has been paying rent for 13 premises in Sligo including €193,448 per year for office accommodation on Cleveragh Road; €164,89 per year for offices in the Cleveragh Retail Park and €69,252 per year for offices in Old Market Street.

“Given the dire financial position of the Council over the past number of years I find it amazing that the County Manager would spend such excessive amounts of money renting private properties”, Cllr Declan Bree said today.

“I sought this information at a Council meeting a year ago - back in January 2011.  I specifically proposed at the time that the Council be provided with a report, including the identity of each property rented by the Council, the purpose for which each property is used by the Council, the annual rent paid for each property and the rent paid per square ft, and the date on which the rental agreement was entered into in respect of each property.

“It has taken the County Manager 12 months to pull together the information we sought and needless to say this doesn’t surprise me.  At our most recent meeting we learned from the Local Government Auditor’s report that the Council’s Registers of lands and buildings have not been maintained properly.  With this type of management is it any wonder that the Council is in financial crisis.

“In 2008 the Council had a budget deficit on its revenue account of €4.2 million.  In 2009 the budget deficit was €3.2 million, in 2010 the budget deficit was €2.4 million and all the indications are that the Council’s budget deficit for last year will be approximately €3 million. This is a total of €11.8 million deficit on the revenue account alone.  Yet, at the same time the County Manger was paying out over three quarters of a million euro each year on rents.   It’s incredible. Would this be allowed happen in any other County Council in the country?   It’s as if the Management of Sligo County Council was living in a parallel universe.” said Cllr Bree.

“Now, with the Council on the verge of bankruptcy I understand that the County Manager is proposing to terminate some of the rentals.  It’s yet another case of closing the stable door after the horse has bolted.” said Cllr Bree